Darkest Hour
by R First Gamble
Summary: Jughead Jones and Betty Cooper have been through a lot together- from solving Jason Blossom's murder, to the case of the Black Hood, but the newest challenge that arises for the couple is bigger than anything they've faced before.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Hi guys! Betty and Jughead are back together, and so my inspiration to write has returned. Here's a new story for you. You'll have to be patient with me; this story is going to take a lot more research than my last one did, and I'm in my hardest semester of nursing school at the moment which is really time consuming. This idea randomly occurred to me, and I really like it (it's right up my alley with whump and angst), and I really want to do it justice, so patience on the part of the readers is key. I really hope you enjoy it.

As for time setting, I would like to say it's current, but I'm not including many of the current storylines like Chic or the Lodge business. It is post-Bughead reunion though.

 **Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

"Another week at Riverdale High complete," Jughead sighed, wrapping his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders as they began their trek to the Cooper residence. The couple had only been back together for a few days, but it felt as though they had missed no time together at all. The familiarity was comforting.

Betty leaned into his side as they walked down the uneven sidewalk. "Thank goodness. I've been so exhausted these past few weeks."

"Not sleeping well?" Jughead inquired, hoping his absence wasn't at the root of the matter.

"I've been sleeping regularly," Betty replied, shrugging. "I think there's just been a lot going on."

"It's Riverdale; there's always a lot going on," the beanie-clad teen said wryly.

Betty snorted. "You aren't wrong about that."

The twosome walked in comfortable silence the rest of the way to the Cooper household. Jughead found himself smiling, appreciating the beautiful, unusually warm winter day. Thinking back, he couldn't remember the last time he had smiled. Granted, there hadn't been that much to celebrate recently. He glanced down at Betty, who also wore an expression of contentment. To his dismay, however, he did notice that his girlfriend's face appeared to be lacking color, and there were blue-tinted circles under her gorgeous green eyes. Jughead mentally kicked himself; she had obviously been taking their breakup harder than she let on. He resolved then and there to make sure her weekend was both restful and relaxing.

The couple walked up the front stairs to the house to find Alice and Hal dragging luggage onto the porch. There were wrapped gifts next to their suitcases.

"Umm, hi?" Betty said, looking from one parent to another. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Oh good, Betty, you're home," Alice said quickly. She stood up from straightening the bow on one of the wrapped packages. "Your father and I are going to the farm where Polly lives to meet the twins."

Betty cocked her head and surveyed her parents shrewdly. Jughead could see the gears churning in her blonde head. "Does she know you're coming?"

"Of course not," Alice responded flippantly, picking up two of the presents. "But we have decided that we are going to see her, whether or not she or her cult want us to. Those are our grandchildren, and we will not be kept from them any longer."

Hal looked at Betty and gave her a resigned shrug. It was clear that he was not in charge of the situation.

"Don't worry, we left plenty of food to get you through the weekend," Alice continued, dragging her suitcase to the station wagon. Hal followed her with his own luggage, looking stoic. "I assume we won't have our cell phones once we are with the cult," she added with an eye roll. "But if you need anything, I told Mr. Andrews where we were going and he agreed to keep an eye out for you. We wanted to take you with us, but we thought it best to keep our numbers low until we find out whether or not this cult is even going to let us see Polly or the twins." Each time Alice said the word "cult" her face contorted into an expression equivalent to someone smelling spoiled milk.

Jughead watched Betty absorb all of the information Alice bestowed upon her. "Okay," she said, shrugging. "Good luck, I hope everything goes smoothly. Tell Polly I love her."

"Of course we will," Alice said, her blue eyes softening for a moment. However, they hardened again, turning their gaze on Jughead. "Jughead, I am happy to see you and our daughter worked your differences out. That being said, if you insist upon staying here this weekend, we prefer you to stay in the guest room. And if you refuse to do that, please have the good grace to use protection. We've hit our quota for grandchildren this year."

Jughead felt a rare blush creeping up his usually pallid cheeks but tried to keep his facial expression neutral. "Noted, Mrs. Cooper," he mumbled.

"Use good judgement, Betty," Alice said, getting into the car. "We don't know exactly when we'll be back, but we'll contact you when we can. We love you."

Hal gave the couple an awkward wave, obviously still recovering from Alice's comments to Jughead, and climbed into the passenger seat of the station wagon. They pulled out of the driveway and down the road, disappearing around the corner.

"Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have normal parents," Betty murmured, watching the car as it disappeared from sight.

"Don't we all?" Jughead responded. He wrapped his arm around Betty's shoulders again and steered her into the house. His weekend plans of waiting on Betty hand and foot had just become a lot easier without the meddlesome Cooper parents in the picture. "But to be honest, I'm pretty certain there's no such thing."

Once inside, Jughead dropped his backpack on the floor next to the door and studied Betty, who had momentarily shut her eyes. She breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly.

"Come on, let's get you to bed," Jughead murmured, pulling Betty into a hug. She seemed frailer than usual, and once again he felt the sinking feeling of guilt settle into his gut.

Betty's eyes snapped open and gave Jughead a confused look. "It's only three-thirty. I can't go to bed now."

"Betty, you look dead on your feet," Jughead replied, gazing down at his girlfriend. "You're not going to lift a finger this weekend. Anything you need, I'm your guy. I feel like it's my fault you're run down right now, and I'm going to make it up to you."

Betty glanced up at Jughead, her green eyes studying his blue ones closely. She licked her bottom lip and dug her teeth into it. "I'll only go to bed under one condition."

Jughead's mouth dried instantly. "What's that?" he asked hoarsely, already knowing exactly what Betty meant.

Betty grabbed the waistband of his jeans and pulled him close, maintaining a burning eye contact. "You come with me."

0o0o0o0

Some time later, Betty laid naked next to Jughead, fast asleep. Jughead studied her peaceful, resting face with scrutiny, gently tracing his fingers over her smooth skin. He found himself in awe of her beauty, the setting sun casting shadows through the window and onto her serene face. The blue circles under her eyes remained ever-present, but somehow, seeing her sleep helped the pit in his stomach.

Deciding it was time to make the two of them dinner, he crawled out of bed, accidentally uncovering Betty in the process. He quickly grabbed the blanket to avoid waking up his sleeping beauty, but before he did, he caught a sight that stopped him in his tracks. There were bruises up and down Betty's ribs and back, and upon further inspection, around her hips and down her thighs as well.

"What the hell?" he murmured, tracing the lines with the tips of his fingers. The bruises varied in shape and size, and were different shades, ranging from dark purple to light green. Betty began to stir, and Jughead quickly covered her with the comforter, still not wanting to disturb her. This could wait until she woke up for dinner.

After putting his pants and shirt back on, Jughead walked sleepily down the stairs, still mulling over the marks on Betty's skin. He walked to the kitchen to see what food Alice had left for them, and upon inspection, he decided to make them breakfast for dinner. While mixing the pancake batter, there was a knock on the door.

Wondering who the visitor could be, Jughead opened the door to Archie Andrews standing on the doorstep.

"Oh, hey, Jug," Archie said, clearly surprised to see him. "My dad said Mr. and Mrs. Cooper were out of town this weekend so I came to make sure Betty wasn't lonely."

Jughead stepped back to let his friend in. "She's upstairs sleeping," he said, closing the door behind Archie. "I'm making pancakes and bacon for dinner, want to join?"

"I totally would, but I'm having dinner at the Lodge's tonight," Archie said, leaning against the kitchen counter. "I was going to see if Betty wanted to come with me, but it looks like you have dinner under control."

"I'm working on it," Jughead said, pouring batter onto the griddle.

"I've noticed you guys are hanging out a lot again," Archie began hesitantly, "is everything going well?"'

"I think so," Jughead said, turning to his best friend. "I hope so. I was an idiot for pushing her away. I've been an idiot for the last few months to be honest; I'm lucky she let me back in."

"She's head over heels for you, Jug," Archie said, smiling. "It'll be good to see her happy again." He frowned before saying, "I'm sure Betty told you that we kissed. And now that I know you're back together, I wanted to apologize to you. It didn't mean anything at all."

Jughead froze, his stomach dropping to his knees. "You and Betty _kissed_?" He found himself unable to move.

"Jug, I'm sorry, I thought Betty would have told you by now," Archie said quickly, walking forward. "It didn't mean anything. It was right when I was about to get buried alive by the Black Hood and emotions were running high. We haven't spoken about it since, and now I'm back with Veronica, and you and Betty are back together, and everything is normal again." He laid his hands on Jughead's shoulders. "Seriously, Jug, it didn't mean a thing. I just wanted to apologize to you. I know you guys were broken up at the time, but I still feel bad about it."

Though Jughead's mind was still reeling, he found himself able to shrug. "It's fine," he said, turning to the now-smoking pancake on the stovetop. He tossed it in the trash and began a new one. "It's not a big deal. Everything is fine now, and plus I hooked up with Toni while we were broken up too. I just wish Betty had told me herself."

"I'm sorry," Archie repeated. "I'm sure she's forgotten about it by now; that's how irrelevant it was."

"I'm sure," Jughead replied, still reeling. First the bruises, and now this. The past twenty minutes had been a revelation.

Thankfully, the conversation moved forward, and any uncomfortable feelings between the two friends evaporated quickly. Soon, Jughead had a large stack of pancakes and plate of bacon ready for dinner.

"You sure you can't stay?" Jughead asked Archie, gesturing to the large amount of food he had just prepared.

"I wish I could." Archie stared at the food longingly. "But I did promise Veronica I would eat with her family tonight."

"Fair enough." Jughead checked the time. "I need to get Betty up or she'll never sleep tonight."

"Yeah, what's with that?" Archie asked, his brows knitting together. "It's not like her to nap."

"I think she's just really rundown," Jughead said, putting their plates on the table. He didn't mention his level of concern to Archie. "The past month hasn't been easy on either of us."

Archie nodded in understanding. "I get it, man. When Ronnie and I were broken up I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat; it was awful."

At that moment, a sleepy Betty appeared from upstairs, clad in her light pink robe. She wiped her eyes and yawned. "Hey, Arch," she said, smiling at her friend.

"Good nap?" Archie asked, returning the smile.

"The best," Betty replied. She glanced at the steaming plates on the table and her eyes lit up. "Breakfast for dinner?" she asked, turning to Jughead eagerly.

"That's the plan," he replied, smiling at Betty's excitement. He watched the body language between his best friend and his girlfriend carefully; nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Maybe, just maybe, the kiss had been as inconsequential as Archie insisted.

"Well, guys, I'm going to run," Archie said, backing towards the door. "Mr. Lodge doesn't take kindly to late guests."

The couple bid their friend goodbye and sat down at the table. Jughead studied Betty closely, not sure whether to ask her about the bruises or the kiss with Archie first. Looking at her still-pale face, however, he found he didn't have it in him to broach the Archie subject yet.

"Betts, when I was getting up to cook earlier, I noticed you have a lot of bruises all over. Did you fall or something?"

Betty finished chewing her bite of pancake and looked at Jughead quizzically. "No, I just assumed they were from having sex."

Jughead nearly choked on his bite of bacon. "I appreciate your confidence in me, Betty, but we've had sex exactly twice now. And I'm pretty certain neither time was either lengthy nor rough enough to leave any marks on you."

Betty shrugged, seeming unconcerned. "I don't know then. I've always bruised pretty easily. One of the perks of having the complexion of Casper."

"Okay," Jughead responded. He briefly wondered if Betty was telling the truth, considering her lie regarding Archie, but he forced himself to redirect his thoughts, citing them as paranoid.

After the two had finished their breakfast for dinner, they sat down and watched television for a couple hours, unwinding from their long week at school. Jughead sat with his legs stretched out in front of him over the length of the couch and Betty sat between them, leaning back into his chest. Every so often, Jughead would lean forward and smell the sweet, familiar scent of Betty's hair. He had always found the smell intoxicating, and now that they were finally back together, somehow it smelled even better.

An hour and a half into their television viewing, Betty began shifting uncomfortably between Jughead's legs.

"You okay, Betts?" Jughead murmured.

"I'm starting to not feel great," Betty admitted, wiping her forehead. "I think I might have a fever."

"Uh oh." Jughead sat up, wrapping an arm around Betty to feel her forehead. Sure enough, her forehead was warm to the touch and her skin had a sticky, clammy feel to it. "I hope you're not coming down with something. Let's get you to bed."

Together, the teens climbed the stairs to Betty's room. Betty seemed a little weak, so Jughead made sure to keep an arm around her waist to stabilize her.

"Do you want any medicine?" Jughead asked once Betty was settled in bed.

"Maybe some Tylenol," Betty responded quietly, shutting her eyes and leaning against her headboard. "I really hope this isn't the flu. It's been spreading around school like a wildfire."

"I'm sure you'll feel better after some sleep." Jughead stood up to retrieve the medication for Betty. He found it in the cabinet above her sink and returned with the bottle and a glass of water.

Betty swallowed two pills with a large sip of water. "Thank you," she said, smiling up at Jughead. "You're an excellent nurse."

Jughead leaned down and kissed Betty gently. "I'll be back as soon as I put away all the food and turn out the lights downstairs."

Fifteen minutes later, Jughead climbed over Betty and settled into his side of the bed. "How are you feeling?" he asked gently.

"A little better," Betty replied sleepily. "I think I'll be fine after some rest."

"Go to sleep then, Betts," Jughead murmured softly. He hesitated before adding, "I love you."

Though the room was dark, the moonlight shining through the window illuminated Betty's face just enough for Jughead to see her smile.

"I love you too, Jug."

And with that sweet affirmation, Jughead also drifted off.

0o0o0o0

"Jughead?"

Betty's panicked voice jolted the teen up from a deep sleep. "What's wrong?" he asked, already wide awake.

"I think something is wrong." Though urgent, the tone of Betty's voice was bone chillingly frail.

Jughead leapt out of bed and flipped on the light, and the sight that played out before him was like something out of a horror film. Betty was sitting up in bed, white as a ghost, holding her trembling hands out in front of her. They were covered in blood.

Crossing the room quickly, he stripped the comforter from the bed and the sight before him made him weak in the knees. The insides of Betty's bare thighs were covered in blood, as were the sheets below her backside. Jughead's stomach lurched uncomfortably; the sheer volume of blood on the bed, combined with the terrified expression on Betty's face, made it clear to him this wasn't a typical feminine occurrence.

Betty began to shake violently and tears spilled from her green eyes. "I don't know what to do," she whispered fearfully.

Jughead grabbed Betty's phone off of the side table and dialed 911. As it rang, he sat on the side of the bed and stroked Betty's hair comfortingly. "We're going to get you to the hospital, Betty. Don't worry; I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

 **Author's Note:** So yeah, if you hadn't gathered this by now, this story is going to be heavy. That being said, I am so excited to tell it. I'm happy to hear any constructive criticism; let me know if you're interested in continuing to read this story.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thank you all for your follows and reviews! I was so grateful that everyone seemed to enjoy chapter one. I know this story is going to be a little dark, but I promise it'll be a rewarding read.

 **Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Once Jughead hung up with the 911 operator, he looked down at Betty, who was trembling from head to toe. "Come here," he murmured, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and putting his head against hers. "Everything is going to be okay, Betts," he continued, struggling to keep his voice from cracking. Though his words were comforting and calm, his heart was hammering against his sternum like it never had before. This was hands-down the most terrified he had ever been in his life.

"You have blood on you," Betty moaned, clearly embarrassed. She gestured to the side of Jughead's thigh before burying her face in her hands. "I'm so sorry."

Jughead glanced down to his hip, where sure enough, there was blood smeared on the side of his boxers and the side of his leg. Under different circumstances, it probably would have bothered him, but at that moment it was a non-issue. "That's the least of my worries right now, Betts," he murmured into her hair.

During the ten-minute wait for the EMS, Jughead remained attached to Betty's side, save for when he sprinted down the stairs to unlock the front door. "She's upstairs," he rushed when the EMTs came in. They moved calmly but swiftly, and as they assessed Betty from her bed, Jughead rushed around putting clothes on and gathering their belongings. Throughout the process, Betty remained white as a ghost, but composed. Jughead felt a strange combination of terrifying dread, as well an overwhelming sense of pride as he watched the love of his life remain stoic in such dire circumstances.

"Where are you parents?" one of the EMTs asked her as they were loading her into the back of the ambulance.

"Out of town," Betty whispered. Jughead noticed her hands were clenched into fists; surely by this point the scars on her palms had been opened once again. "They don't have their phones on them," she added.

This was true. Jughead had tried calling both of their phones once he hung up with the 911 dispatcher, but they had both gone to voicemail. They had apparently been successful in visiting Polly and the twins.

"Jug!" came a voice from behind him. Jughead turned around to see a panicked and shirtless Archie Andrews sprinting towards the flashing ambulance.

"I can't talk now, Arch," Jughead said, climbing into the back of the ambulance. All of the undesirable feelings he had been harboring towards his friend had evaporated. "I'll text you as soon as we know something."

"You'd better." The redhead's brown eyes had concern etched across them. "I'll contact Ronnie for you. Stay with her," he added, nodding towards Betty.

"You know I will."

0o0o0o0

Upon arriving in the hospital, the doctors waiting for the ambulance swept Betty away. Meanwhile, the nurses informed Jughead he would have to sit in the waiting room until they had a room designated for her. For what seemed like hours, he paced back and forth across the emergency department's waiting area. Each time he turned around to change direction, he was surprised to see he hadn't worn a track in the tile floor.

He found himself wracking his brain, doing his best to try to figure out what had caused all of that bleeding. There had been _so_ much blood; he didn't even know the human body contained that much blood to begin with, much less how it could continue to function after losing it. However, truth be told, he was a man of the arts and didn't know much about science, and even less about the science that pertained to… lady parts. As far as he was concerned, he had done his part by wrapping himself up and that was that.

Though he tried his best not to think about it, his mind kept ruminating over the chance that he could have done this to her. They had only had sex twice now; once three days ago, and once earlier this evening. What was the likelihood of her losing her virginity being totally unrelated to this incident? ' _Slim_ ,' he caught himself thinking grimly.

"Mr. Jones?"

Jughead whirled around to see a nurse in navy scrubs looking at him. "That's me," he said breathlessly.

"You have a pretty girl asking for you," she said, giving him a soft smile.

Jughead couldn't stop a grin from spreading across his face. This looked like good news. ' _Please, please let it be good news,'_ he prayed to whatever god or deity happened to be listening. He followed the nurse into the labyrinth that was the emergency department to room 16.

Walking into the room, he found an ashen but awake Betty Cooper in a hospital bed. She had an IV in her right arm, was in a hospital gown, and still appeared shaky, but she smiled once he walked into the room. Jughead felt such an overwhelming surge of happiness that his knees almost buckled; as someone who typically prided himself on not experiencing a huge spectrum of human emotion, he was not accustomed to feeling such strong sentiments.

"Hi," he murmured, sitting on the edge of her hospital bed and pulling her into a gentle hug. The familiarity of her body pressed against his was the best feeling in the world. "How are you?"

"I'm okay," Betty replied. Her voice was small and quiet, but somehow was still able to convey her resilience.

"What did the doctors say?" Jughead reached down and put Betty's left hand in his. It was freezing to the touch.

"They haven't said much yet. They were focused on getting the bleeding to stop at first." A flush of color appeared on her cheeks. "I'm really sorry, Jug. I'm so embarrassed."

"Don't be ridiculous," Jughead scolded gently. "Betty, I have never been that terrified in my life. And it had nothing to do with the blood. I just want to make sure you're okay. That's what's most important here."

At that moment, a doctor walked into the small room with the same nurse that ushered Jughead from the waiting room. He was a tall, balding man that wore rimless glasses.

"Ms. Cooper," he said, looking up from her file. "I'm Dr. Lloyd. We met earlier, but under less pleasant circumstances. How are you feeling?"

"Better," Betty replied, smiling. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me. I'm just glad we didn't have to give you a transfusion," Dr. Lloyd replied, returning Betty's smile. He glanced at Jughead. "We have some medically relevant questions we need to ask you. Would you prefer that you were alone for that?"

Jughead's eyes darted from the doctor to Betty's face. It would take more than a few questions about the female anatomy to get him to leave her in that moment. As if sensing his resistance to leave, Betty glanced at him, making quick reassuring eye contact. She shook her head. "He can hear whatever I have to say. Thank you for asking though."

"Of course," Lloyd responded. He sat on the stool next to her bed, paper and pen in hand. "I assume you have never had that kind of menstrual bleeding before, correct?"

"Never," Betty replied with emphasis. "I honestly didn't know anything like that was even possible."

Dr. Lloyd scribbled notes along with Betty's responses. "It's very unusual. Have you had any irregularities in your last few cycles? Anything out of the ordinary?"

Jughead found himself pondering what in the world could be irregular about a cycle that happened every single month, but refrained from making any comment. Some things were best left unknown.

"Nothing at all." Betty shrugged, shaking her head. "Everything has been normal."

"Is there a chance that you could have been pregnant?"

For the first time, Jughead regretted staying in the room. Of course, this would happen days after they had sex the first time. Nothing about their relationship had been normal before, so why start now? He felt a warm blush creeping up his cheeks but forced his face to remain impassive.

"Not really, no." Betty's pallid face turned a light pink. At the confused expression from the doctor she added, "I just had sex for the first time three days ago, and we used protection."

"Ah," Dr. Lloyd replied, writing more notes. "So, this wouldn't have been a miscarriage then." He paused, looking her up and down analytically. "This is such a rare occurrence that it has us a little stumped. My team is going to take some blood and run some basic tests, just to cover our bases. We're going to keep you here for the day on observation, and that way we can load you up with fluids and electrolytes. It's possible that this was just an incredibly heavy cycle."

"That could have just been a period?" Betty asked in disbelief.

"Like I said, we are going to run some tests," the doctor replied, "but it is possible. I do have to ask one more question. It is a little sensitive."

"Go ahead." Betty looked confounded.

"During our physical examination earlier, my colleagues and I saw bruising on your ribs and hips. We are legally obligated to ask: have you been sustaining any abuse?" His eyes flitted to Jughead for a fraction of a second.

Jughead's stomach dropped. Surely there was no way this man thought that he could lay a hand on Betty. He shook his head fiercely and opened his mouth, but not before Betty put her hand on his arm.

"Of course not," Betty rushed. She smiled up at Jughead. "He would never."

"Oh, I hope you don't think I'm being accusatory," the doctor replied, raising his hands. "I meant from anywhere, not only domestically."

"Nothing like that at all," Betty assured him calmly. She shook her head. "Jughead was asking me about those bruises yesterday, weren't you, Jug? I have no idea where they came from."

The doctor frowned and scribbled a few more notes. "We are going to draw some blood from you and run a CBC, which is a complete blood count, as well as a few other tests, just to rule out some options by process of elimination."

"Do whatever you need," said Betty softly. Her eyes appeared heavy to Jughead. He imagined losing that much blood would exhaust anyone, and he wrapped his arm around her protectively.

The doctor excused himself from the room, and the nurse stepped forward. She briefly unhooked Betty's IV line and used the port in her arm to draw five vials of blood. Once she left the room, Betty curled up in the bed, looking small and frail.

"You must be exhausted," Jughead murmured. He laid down on the side of the small bed Betty wasn't using and turned to face her. Reaching his hand out, Jughead gently stroked her face and Betty shut her eyes.

"I am pretty tired," Betty responded quietly. "You must be too, though."

It was true. Jughead's body felt heavy and sleep deprived, but that wasn't something Betty needed to worry herself with at that time. "I'm fine," he replied. "Just worried about you. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. I have a headache and feel really weak, but I think that's to be expected right now," his girlfriend murmured. Her eyes were still closed and she appeared to be falling asleep.

Jughead sat up quietly. "Get some sleep, Betts," he whispered, leaving a kiss on her forehead.

He tiptoed out the door and shut the door behind him quietly. He walked down the hallway a short way and pulled out his phone. It was six-thirty in the morning, but he knew Archie would be awake and expecting a call from him. He pressed his friend's name on his phone screen, and sure enough, a wide-awake Archie Andrews answered just one ring later.

"What's up, Juggie?"

"Hey, man, sorry I couldn't talk long earlier. Things have been pretty intense on this end," Jughead replied. He leaned against the wall, feeling his exhaustion in every part of his body. As he spoke, he kept an eye on Betty's room. He wanted to be there once the results of the blood tests came in.

"It's totally fine," Archie responded. The concern in his voice was evident. "What's going on?"

"Betty had a bit of an episode last night," Jughead began, but then paused. He felt tears prick the back of his eyes, and all of his emotions that he had been suppressing welled up all at once. Jughead took a deep breath; this was not over and he couldn't break now. Swallowing hard, he continued, "She started bleeding- having girl bleeding- but really bad. Blood was everywhere, Arch. Everywhere. I didn't know what to do so I called 911."

"Oh my God," Archie replied quietly. "What do they think caused it?"

"They don't know. They ran some tests and said they should be back within an hour. But Archie-" Jughead broke off, sighing loudly.

"What is it, Jug?" his redheaded best friend asked, "what's wrong?"

"I think this might be my fault," Jughead said flatly. He forced himself not to show any more emotion, wiping a tear off his face quickly and glancing around to make sure nobody in the hallway could hear or see him.

"What do you mean?" Archie asked, clearly confused.

"Betty and I had sex for the first time three days ago," Jughead whispered, blushing a deep red. He and Archie may be best friends, but they had never discussed their respective intimate lives with one another, especially considering the piece of information Archie bestowed upon him the night before. "And then again yesterday. Archie, what if I did this to her?"

There was a brief pause on the line. "Jug, I don't think that's the case at all," Archie said slowly. "That sort of thing doesn't happen."

"You're sure?" Jughead moaned. He rubbed his face with his hand; though he hated bringing it up, Archie definitely had more experience with this type of thing than he did.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure," Archie replied. There was another pause before, "Congrats, man. I thought that would've happened a while ago."

Jughead snorted. "Things have been busy I guess."

The friends stayed on the phone for another twenty minutes. Archie promised he would be by to visit later if Betty had not been discharged yet. Once Jughead hung up, he wandered to the vending machine and grabbed a couple Pop Tarts; he had been starving since arriving at the hospital, but had been too nervous to eat anything. He walked back to Betty's room and found her still asleep. He played a few games of Tetris on his phone, and then took to pacing the room. Though he was exhausted, he was strangely wired and knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep until they had the results of the blood test.

An hour later, Dr. Lloyd knocked on the door and walked into the room. The noise woke Betty and she sat up in the bed, rubbing her eyes. Jughead grabbed her hand and sat in the chair next to the bed.

"We have your preliminary test results," Dr. Lloyd told the pair, sitting down on the rolling stool next to the computer. His face gave absolutely nothing away. "Do you mind if I share the results in front of your boyfriend or would you rather be alone?"

"It's fine," Betty replied, shaking her head. "I don't mind."

"Well, I ran the tests. All cultures came back negative for infection, and your electrolytes indicated you were slightly dehydrated, but your saline drip should have fixed that by now," the doctor began. "Your CBC results are where my concern comes in."

"What's wrong with it?" Jughead asked. He could feel his heart racing again and he had to make a conscious effort to keep his hands from shaking. Something in the doctor's tone told him this wasn't going to be good news.

"Well, Betty, your white blood cell counts are abnormally high. The end of the upper range for females is usually around 11,000 and yours is at 75,000," Dr. Lloyd read from his sheet. "And because your blood cultures came back negative for infection, that has some negative implications."

"So, what are you thinking it is?" Betty asked slowly. She glanced down to Jughead and back to the doctor. Her tired green eyes were wide and fearful.

Doctor Lloyd frowned. "Well, we will have to run some more tests to make sure, but the preliminary results suggest you have cancer."

 **A/N:** Reviews are much appreciated. :)


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note:_ Thank you all for your kind words on the last chapter. Here's something to hold you over on this ridiculous hiatus...March 7 can't come soon enough!

 _Disclaimer:_ All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

And in that moment, Jughead Jones's world came crashing down. He could see the doctor's mouth moving, and yet he couldn't hear a sound. Cancer. _Cancer_. This was impossible; it had to be a mistake. Betty was young and healthy. But at the same time, he could not help but think about how sickly his girlfriend had appeared lately. Her skin had been pallid with dark blue circles under those big green eyes. And though she had always been slim, she seemed to be losing weight.

Jughead turned his head and looked at Betty. Her eyes were wide and scared. They were shining with tears, and as she blinked, one slipped down her cheek. In that moment, Jughead found his clarity. He had to step up and be there for her; this was not his time to be scared or weak. He had to be her rock, whatever it took. Should the roles be reversed, she would do the same for him.

"We are going to have to perform a bone marrow aspiration to confirm the diagnosis," Dr. Lloyd continued, having given Betty a moment to absorb the information. "The number of white blood cells in your bone marrow will give us a more definitive idea of what we are looking at."

Betty nodded. She seemed unable to speak.

"When will you do that?" Jughead asked, stepping in for his girlfriend. Once she came out of her fog, he knew she would have questions.

"Within the hour," the doctor replied. "We will have those labs run as quickly as possible and should have results by tomorrow morning. We will be able to send you home in the meantime since you're stable now, Betty."

"And if the results come back as you expect them to?" Jughead inquired. He could not bring himself to say the word "cancer".

"It all depends on what type we are looking at," Dr. Lloyd responded. He shifted to look at Betty again. "I know this is an incredibly nerve-wracking time for you, Betty, especially with your parents out of town, so I don't want to cloud your head with ideas. Each disease has its own treatment protocol which we will follow accordingly. I am going to call upon one of my oncology colleagues to consult as well. She is very good at her job."

Betty nodded slowly. She seemed to at least be processing the information given to her despite not responding verbally.

"I need you to sign a consent form for your bone marrow aspiration," Dr. Lloyd continued. He held out a clipboard with a form on it. "We will take a large needle and insert it into your iliac crest, which is on the back side of your hip bone, and we will remove some of the liquid portion of your bone marrow. The number and type of white blood cells in that liquid will point us in the right direction. We will give you some local anesthetic around the site of insertion, but I do like to warn my patients that it is a particularly unpleasant procedure."

Betty nodded tightly and reached out with shaking hands to take the clip board. She signed her name on the line and handed it back to the doctor.

"I have another question," Jughead interjected. "She came in with a bleeding issue. How does that relate to…" he paused, still unable to say the word, "…what you suspect."

"Like I said, this all depends on the result of the bone marrow aspiration," Dr. Lloyd responded sympathetically. "I know waiting is difficult, but we will know a lot more in twenty-four hours." He stood and walked to the door. "I am going to gather the supplies for the bone marrow test. I'll return momentarily."

As soon as the doctor vanished, Jughead turned to his girlfriend. He wrapped his arms around her and put his chin on top of her head. "We're going to get through this, Betty. I'm going to be by your side every step of the way, I promise. I'm not going to let anything hurt you."

"I know," Betty whispered in response. She looked scared but resigned. "I should have known something was going on, Jug. I haven't felt right in over a month."

"This isn't your fault," Jughead replied sternly. He looked her dead in the eyes. "And we don't even know for certain. There's no use in jumping to conclusions when we don't have all of the information available yet."

"You're right," Betty murmured, giving him a thin smile. "I can always count on you to keep me sane."

Jughead gave Betty a reassuring smile, but on the inside, he was in complete disarray.

A few minutes later, Dr. Lloyd and his nurse returned with a metal tray of equipment. They had Betty lay on her left side, facing away from them.

"Betty, I'm going to numb the skin and tissues around this area, but the needle that I use to retrieve the bone marrow has to penetrate the bone, so you will still have some sensation," the doctor told her. "I will need you to try your best to remain still for the duration of the procedure."

"Okay," Betty responded shakily. She winced as the provider injected the skin around her lower back butt with the numbing agent.

Jughead sat by the head of her bed holding her hands tightly. They were sweaty and trembling within his. "I love you," he murmured to her so only the two of them could hear. The teen ignored the pounding heart in his chest and forced himself to focus on the matter at hand.

Betty opened her eyes briefly, smiling at him. She mouthed that she loved him too.

"Okay, Betty," Dr. Lloyd said. "I've given the anesthetic a few minutes to kick in. We're going in with the aspiration needle now."

Betty closed her eyes tightly.

The doctor inserted the needle forcefully, pressing hard against Betty's body and the nurse held her still.

Betty let out a strangled cry. "Ow, ow, ow," she repeated over and over, getting louder as the procedure went on. "Please stop, please stop," she begged, tears streaming out from behind her scrunched eyes.

"Almost done, Betty," the doctor told her loudly, working quickly behind her. "I know this is painful. I'm so sorry."

Jughead worked hard to maintain his composure. Seeing Betty in this much pain was one of the worst things he had ever experienced. He let her squeeze his hands as hard as she could, giving her at least some mechanism to deal with the pain. His chest constricted seeing her in such agony.

"You're doing great," he murmured to her. He did his best not to wince as Betty's fingernails dug into his skin.

"All done," the doctor announced, standing up. He handed a vial of dark red fluid to the nurse. "Take it easy for a few minutes. You're going to be pretty sore from that stick for a few days. Then we will get everything wrapped up and send you home."

"You'll call with the results in the morning?" Jughead asked. Betty still had her eyes squeezed shut and appeared to be recovering, so he once again put himself in charge of asking questions.

The doctor smiled. "As soon as I get the results I'll give them to Ms. Cooper."

0o0o0o0

Two hours later, Jughead and Betty arrived back at the Cooper residence. Mr. Andrews had picked them up from the hospital and taken them home.

"You two are sure that I can't do anything for you right now?" he asked, concern etched all over his weathered face.

"We're good, Mr. Andrews, thank you so much," Betty replied cheerfully. "Thank you again for the ride."

It had been like this since they had been picked up. Betty had chatted happily in the truck during the entire ride while Jughead sat next to her, confounded. It was like someone had flipped a switch inside of his girlfriend and everything was suddenly sunshine and rainbows. Once they were out of the truck, Mr. Andrews pulled into his driveway next door and walked inside.

Jughead helped Betty walk up the sidewalk to the house slowly. The doctor had warned them that she may have difficulty walking for a couple days after the procedure, and that seemed to be the case. By then the local anesthetic had worn off, and Betty appeared to be in a substantial amount of pain. She moaned as they trudged up the steps to the front porch.

"Let's get you to the sofa," Jughead murmured, unlocking the front door. He helped Betty limp into the living room and settle onto the couch.

"I don't want anyone to know, Jug," Betty told him as he settled next to her on the furniture. "I saw the way you looked at me in the car when I was talking to Mr. Andrews. I'm not ready for everyone to know yet, especially since we don't know for sure ourselves."

"Yeah, whatever you want to do, Betty. It's all up to you." Jughead sat down next to Betty on the couch and wrapped his arm around her.

Suddenly, Betty's phone beeped indicating that she had a text message.

"It's my mom," Betty said, frowning and glancing at the screen. She swiped across the bottom of her phone and a picture of two redheaded infants appeared.

"Oh my gosh," Betty whispered in awe. Jughead saw tears gathering in her eyes as she traced her fingers across the faces of the Blossom twins. "Look at them, Jug. They're perfect."

Jughead tightened his grip around his girlfriend's shoulders and kissed her temple. "They look very healthy, for products of incest," he responded, giving Betty a sideways glance and a crooked grin. He dodged a poorly aimed smack.

"Oh hush," Betty scolded, suppressing laughter. "My mom says she can't talk and that she snuck her phone in for a quick picture."

"Text her and tell them to come home before she turns her phone off," Jughead responded quickly. "Betty, they need to be here for what you have going on."

"I'm not going to worry them until I find out for sure," Betty responded. The little "V" that formed between her eyes told Jughead she wasn't going to budge on the subject.

"They would want to know," Jughead countered.

"I'm not going to ruin the first time they meet their grandchildren for something that might end up being nothing," Betty glared, raising her voice slightly.

"Okay, okay." Jughead held up his hands in surrender.

"I'm sorry," Betty said quietly. "I know what the results are probably going to say, Juggie. I heard the doctor. I just want one more normal night between the two of us before everything changes."

0o0o0o0

The next morning, Jughead and Betty got the call to come to the hospital to discuss test results with Dr. Lloyd. Not wanting to bring any attention to their return to the hospital, Betty insisted they took a cab rather than get a ride from Mr. Andrews or the Lodge's car service.

"Have you even talked to Veronica about any of this?" Jughead asked in the car.

"We texted briefly," Betty shrugged, staring out the window the rain-spattered window. She had been doing this the entire ride. "I told her it was no big deal. She offered to come over yesterday but I told her that you and I were exhausted from our ordeal in the ER the night before and that we were just going to sleep."

That wasn't entirely untrue. The couple had ordered pizza for dinner the night before and Betty had fallen asleep on the couch by 8 o'clock. When Jughead decided it was time for bed around midnight, he carried his sleeping beauty up the stairs and to bed. Betty hadn't woken until her phone call from Dr. Lloyd came in at 9 that morning. As for Jughead, he wasn't certain that he had fallen asleep at all. All he could do was stare at the ceiling, gripped with an unknown sense of dread, and wait for the impending news. It had made for an absolutely miserable night, but Betty didn't need to know that.

Once at the hospital, Jughead paid the cab driver and glanced at Betty. She looked pale and small, staring up at the hospital with a grim, resolute expression on her face.

"Betty, look at me," Jughead said, pulling her close. He placed his hands on her shoulders and bore his blue eyes into her green ones, ignoring the drizzling rain. "Whatever happens, whatever they say in there, I want you to know I'll be by your side no matter what. I'm your guy." His throat began to constrict and he had to pause before he became too emotional. "I know I've been reckless and flighty lately, and I think you know how sorry I am for it, but that isn't going to happen again. I've got your back."

"In sickness and in health?" Betty asked shyly, smiling up at him.

Jughead smiled and kissed her as a response.

Once inside the hospital, the pair was shown to Dr. Lloyd's office and they waited in a small room outside until he was ready to see them. Glancing to the side and seeing Betty had her fists clenched, Jughead gently pulled her nails from her palms and held her hands in his.

Ten minutes later, Dr. Lloyd appeared in the doorway and ushered them into his office. Betty was still slow moving from the procedure the day before, so Jughead helped her into one of the chairs in front of the doctor's desk. She gave him a weak smile of thanks and he kissed her temple before settling into his own chair.

For what seemed like the thousandth time since yesterday, Jughead's heart was beating rapidly in his chest. He glanced around the room nervously, spying photos of Dr. Lloyd's family and pets. The room was cozy and inviting, which he found to be ironic considering most people would receive less-than-stellar news in there.

"Well, Betty, I have the results of your bone marrow aspiration," Dr. Lloyd began, pulling Jughead from his thoughts. "And I won't beat around the bush. I'm sorry to tell you that it confirmed our suspicions. You have cancer."

All of the air evacuated Jughead's lungs. He felt as though someone had dropped a cold bucket of water over his head, and his hands started to tremble uncontrollably. He turned to Betty, who remained composed and silent. She nodded at the doctor as a tear slipped down her cheek. She quickly wiped it off and squared her shoulders.

"So, what's next?" she asked, with quiet resignation.

"I have called in a consult with Dr. Tuemler," Dr. Lloyd responded. "She has reviewed your case, and will eventually take it over as the primary physician assigned to it, but she's out of town until tomorrow. What you have is called acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL. It's fast and aggressive, but the good news is that it has one of the highest recovery rates out of all cancers."

Jughead let out a sigh of relief. He hadn't realized he had been holding his breath. ' _Okay_ ,' he found himself thinking, ' _this is curable_. _We can handle this'._ He reached out and grabbed Betty's hand.

"Dr. Tuemler has advised me to start you on treatment regimen as soon as possible," Dr. Lloyd continued. "The induction phase of treatment will last about four weeks, and it is a highly aggressive chemotherapy protocol. You will have to be in the hospital for about a month, but the good news is, the rest of your treatment should be able to be done at home or in an outpatient setting."

"But what about school?" Betty asked, giving the doctor a confused look. "I can't just miss school for a month. I have a test tomorrow. This can't wait until summer?"

Before Jughead had the chance to tell his girlfriend school was the least of their worries right now, Dr. Lloyd responded.

"I'm afraid not. This cancer is easiest to treat when it is caught early. There's a multitude of other tests we will run once you begin your treatment, but the earlier we can begin chemo, the better. Most pediatric patients miss a lot of school and end up repeating, but it's up to you to do what you and your school decide."

Betty nodded, absorbing the information. Jughead knew there was no way in hell that Betty would allow herself to repeat a grade. "So, when do we start?" she asked.

0o0o0o0

An hour later, Betty and Jughead were in a cab on the way back to the Cooper residence. Betty would begin her treatment the next day, and Dr. Lloyd had sent them home to pack with a list of recommended supplies for a month-long stay in the hospital. The rain continued to fall on Riverdale, and Jughead found himself thinking it was suitable. A miserable, rainy setting for the worst day of his life.

"I'll sort out all of your school stuff for you," Jughead murmured. Once again, Betty had been staring out the window the entire ride.

"Thanks," she whispered, not turning to face him.

Unable to think of what else to say, Jughead turned back towards his window and stared out at the dreary surroundings. They passed Moose and Midge walking down the street hand-in-hand underneath an umbrella, and Jughead found himself longing to be able to walk in the rain, carefree, with Betty by his side.

The cab driver pulled up in front of the Cooper's house, and this time Betty paid the fare, waving away the cash Jughead offered. He wrapped his arm around his girl's waist, and supported her up the stairs and down the path to the house. Her limp was a bit more pronounced today, and Jughead wondered if she felt the pain at that moment, or if it was somehow numbed by the soul crushing set of circumstances they found themselves in.

The second the couple walked through the door, Betty collapsed into Jughead, and her docile resilience melted away with the tears that streamed down her cheeks. Huge, heaving sobs wracked her small frame as she nestled her face into the crook of Jughead's neck. Betty clung to him like she never had before. She had always been a strong, independent human, and in that moment, Jughead felt the weight of the world crash down upon him.

"Hey, hey," Jughead murmured, stroking her hair gently. He stared at the ceiling, willing his own tears to stay put. This was not his time to get emotional. "Betty, we're going to get through this. Nothing is going to happen to you; this is just another obstacle for us to get past together."

"You don't know that," came a muffled cry from under his jaw.

"You heard Dr. Lloyd, Betts. This thing is beatable." He willed his voice not to crack. In all reality, he was just as afraid as Betty, but she couldn't know that. At least not right now.

After what seemed like ages, Betty's sobs turned into sniffles, and sniffles turned into occasional sighs. Jughead continued to whisper affirmations in her ear and rub her back until she straightened up and wiped the dried tears from her face.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, embarrassed.

"What could you _possibly_ be sorry about?" Jughead asked, floored.

"I don't know, getting emotional." Betty put her face in her hands momentarily, took a big breath in, and breathed it out slowly. She straightened up again. "I think I might lay down for a few minutes before we start packing. I'm exhausted."

And so, Jughead helped his girlfriend up the stairs and into bed. He climbed in with her and held her until her breathing became deep and rhythmic. Once he was sure she was asleep, he quietly slipped out of the room and down the stairs. He wrote her a note saying that he had to go run some errands and that he would be back soon, and exited the house, making sure to take the spare key with him.

He headed toward Sunnyside Trailer Park. Jughead had not planned on being gone from the Southside for so long, and was in desperate need of clean clothes. On the way, he dialed Alice Cooper's phone number. As expected it went straight to voicemail.

"Alice, it's Jughead. Please call me back as soon as you get this. It's urgent." If Betty wasn't going to tell her parents about her diagnosis, he would. This was something that was bigger than two sixteen-year-olds, and he knew he could only skip school for so long before Riverdale High said something about it, and Betty needed people to support her in the hospital. Southside High had been much more lenient with attendance regulations.

Walking through the trailer park's entrance, he waved to Sweet Pea and Toni, who were sitting on one of the porches.

"Where the hell have you been?" Sweet Pea called over to him. He walked toward them. "I texted you and didn't hear back."

"I've been with Betty," Jughead replied shortly. The briefer he kept these conversations, the less likely he was to become choked up.

"You look like shit," Toni said, squinting at Jughead shrewdly. He was sure the typical dark circles under his eyes were increasingly prevalent today.

"It's been a long couple of days," he said. "I've got to run though, guys. Sorry."

"She's got you whipped again that quickly, huh?" Toni asked, giving him a sideways smirk.

Jughead whirled around, putting his face two inches from Toni's. He had never been closer to laying his hands on a woman, short of Penny Peabody. "Why don't you mind your own damn business for once, Toni? The Serpents put me on probation, remember? It's none of your business where I choose to spend my time."

And with that, he walked the rest of the way to his father's trailer, leaving a stunned Toni and Sweet Pea in his wake. He opened the door to his dad's trailer and flopped down on the couch, burying his face in his hands.

"Where have you been?" came FP's voice from the kitchen, causing Jughead to jump. He hadn't realized his dad would be home; he usually worked Sundays at Pop's.

"The Northside," Jughead responded into his hands.

"Alice Cooper's letting you stay the night now, huh?"

"She and Hal are out of town at the moment. Visiting Polly and the twins," Jughead said, finally lifting his face from his hands and looking over to his father.

FP's face softened the moment he saw Jughead's gaunt face. He stood up and walked over to the couch, sitting next to his son. "What's going on, son? More trouble in paradise?"

"Not like you're thinking. We're still together." Jughead hunched his shoulders, fighting off the impending waves of sorrow that kept crashing onto him.

"Well, talk to me, boy," FP said, shifting awkwardly. Father-son sharing time had never been the Jones' thing. "I can't help if you don't talk."

Jughead paused for a moment. "Betty has cancer, Dad." And upon finally saying the word, the dam gave way, and Jughead was overcome with terrible, visceral sobs. He cried and cried, and before he knew it, he was hunched into FP's chest as Betty had been into his just an hour before. After what seemed like hours, his sobs had died down into silent tears streaming down his face, but he still didn't move from his dad's arms.

"I don't know what to do, Dad," Jughead whispered. He hardly recognized his choked, nasally voice.

"Well, Jug, there's only one thing you can do."

Jughead straightened up. He wiped the tears from his still-damp cheeks and turned to his dad. "Yeah? And what's that?"

"You're gonna stand next to that girl every step of the way until she beats this thing."

 _Author's Note:_ Reviews REALLY make my day ;)


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note:**_ Thank you all so much for your kind words on the last chapter! I'm struggling a bit with how much detail to go into medically- since I'm a nerd and love it, I want to include a bunch of it, but I don't want to bore readers so I'm trending a pretty fine line. Any thoughts are welcome!

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Jughead let himself back into the Cooper household quietly with a fresh mindset, a couple bags of groceries, and a backpack full of the possessions he would need for the time being. He wasn't sure when he would be heading back to the Southside again; at least not for the foreseeable future. Jughead rounded the corner into the kitchen and was surprised to see Betty sitting at the table.

"Hey there," he said, putting the groceries down on the kitchen floor. He walked over to Betty and kissed her on the top of the head. "How are you feeling?"

"As expected," Betty replied, looking up at him. The dark blue circles below her eyes were especially pronounced and her skin had assumed its now typical pallid hue. "I need to tell you something."

Jughead's brow furrowed. "Okay." He sat down next to Betty, putting his hand over hers. "What's going on?"

Betty took a deep breath and began speaking rapidly. "I lied to you when you asked if I had done anything with anyone after our breakup. Archie and I kissed. It didn't mean anything and I don't want you to worry, but I've been going crazy ever since I lied to you."

Jughead gave his girlfriend a thin smile. "Betty, you have cancer. We have a lot more important issues to deal with right now."

"You're not angry?" Betty asked, looking floored.

"No, I'm not mad, even though I wish you hadn't lied." Jughead paused. "But for the sake of transparency, I already knew and I've had time to come to terms with it.

"You _knew_? Betty asked. Her eyes were wide.

"Archie told me a couple days ago," Jughead admitted.

"But you didn't say anything," Betty said quietly. She met Jughead's blue eyes. "And you've been nothing but supportive for me."

"That's because I love you, Betty." Jughead shrugged. "Archie told me it didn't mean anything to either of you, and we've taken our relationship further since then and things seem good between us. That's what matters to me."

With a determined look, Betty stood up from her chair and straddled Jughead on his. She snaked her arms around the back of his head and pulled his face to hers, kissing him deeply.

Jughead wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and pulled her close, kissing Betty back fervently. He slipped his arms under her shirt and skimmed his fingers across the soft skin of her back. Betty moaned against his mouth and it sent jolts of electricity toward his groin. It was then he knew that they needed to stop before things got carried away.

"Betty," he murmured against her mouth. "We can't do this right now."

"Why not?" Betty moaned, continuing her assault.

"I don't want to hurt you." Jughead groaned as Betty kissed and nipped her way down his neck to his collarbone.

"We aren't going to be able to do this for at least a month," Betty persuaded, lifting Jughead's shirt over his head. His arms fell limply by his sides, completely at the mercy of his vixen girlfriend. "I think we should make the most of tonight."

Jughead groaned and stood up, Betty wrapping her legs around his waist. He gently laid her on the kitchen table. This would do.

Suddenly, there was a brisk knock on the door. Both teenagers jumped apart and Jughead reached down and hastily put his shirt on.

"Are you expecting anyone?" he asked Betty.

"No," Betty replied, looking frustrated. Her cheeks were flushed with color. It was the healthiest she had looked in days.

"You look beautiful," Jughead told her, bending down and kissing her. He paused for a moment, doing his best to regain his equilibrium, and then walked to the front door and opened it to find Archie and Veronica on the doorstep.

"Hey, guys," he said, stepping aside and letting them in. "Thanks for the heads up that you were coming over."

"Oh, please," Veronica replied. "Betty and I are _so_ far past needing permission to come over."

Jughead followed the couple into the living room, where Betty had thankfully removed herself from the kitchen table. She was now curled up into a ball in the corner of the couch. He raised his eyebrows at her, asking if they would tell Archie and Veronica the news, and she nodded and gave a small shrug, as if saying ' _They'll find out soon enough anyway_.'

"Betty, I know you and Jughead have been living in marital bliss this weekend with your parents out of town," Veronica said, flopping carelessly on the couch opposite Betty. "Short of your little stint to the hospital, of course. And I fully support the two of you shacking up together because I'm thrilled you're happy. However, Archie and I have come to drag you out of the house. Let's go get some milkshakes at Pop's."

Jughead sat on the couch next to Betty, wrapping his arm around her supportively. He knew Betty wasn't allowed to eat after 9 PM tonight because she had a procedure in the morning to install her chemotherapy port.

"Thanks for the invitation, V. But Jughead and I have some news to tell you guys," Betty said, glancing at Jughead nervously. Her hands were balled into fists.

Jughead reached over and held her hands, prying her nails from her palms.

"Oh, my God," Veronica exclaimed, looking between the two of them. She leaned forward, her brown eyes were wide. "Betty, are you pregnant? Is that why you went to the hospital?"

"No!" Jughead found himself answering, a flush creeping up his cheeks. "Betty isn't pregnant, Veronica." He found himself secretly wishing an unplanned pregnancy was the worst of their problems at the moment.

"What's going on, Jug?" Archie asked, his brow furrowed.

Jughead glanced down to Betty, whose face was white as a sheet. She nodded to him, giving him permission to pass on the news before staring at their clasped hands.

He took a deep breath, feeling tears gather in his eyes again. "Guys, Betty has cancer." He cleared his throat, trying not to cry in front of Betty or their friends.

Both Archie and Veronica were completely silent. Archie leaned forward, running his hands through his shock of red hair, and Veronica covered her mouth with her hands, tears gathering in her eyes and streaming down her cheeks. Once slightly recovered, Archie wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"How bad?" Archie asked them both. Jughead noticed his hands were shaking.

"It could be worse," Betty piped up. Jughead glanced down at her. She looked small and meek. To think, only minutes ago they had been passionately entwined without a thought about her disease. "It's a treatable form of leukemia. But I have to start chemo this week. We go to the hospital tomorrow and I'll be there at least a month."

Veronica got up from the couch and came over to wrap Betty in a tight hug. Her body shook with quiet sobs. "I don't know what to say. Whatever you need, Betty. Just let us know. Archie and I are here for you."

"Thanks, V," Betty said, hugging her friend back.

Archie had also gotten up and gave Betty a hug. "What can we do, Betty?" he asked seriously. He sat back next to Veronica. Both of their friends still looked thoroughly shaken.

"Really nothing," Betty replied. Her brows were knitted together. "Jughead has been taking really good care of me." She smiled up at him, and he leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "I don't know when my parents are coming home, so I think Jughead is going to the hospital with me tomorrow instead of going to class. I might need you guys to tell the teachers and administration what's happening and that I'll get with them as soon as I can."

"Of course, Betty. Whatever you need," Archie said earnestly.

At that moment, Jughead's phone rang. He looked down and saw Alice Cooper's name on the screen. He quickly excused himself from the group without Betty seeing who it was and stepped outside the front door.

"Hello?" he asked, staring down the residential street.

"Jughead, it's Alice. I got your message. What's going on?"

"A lot," Jughead replied solemnly. He had no idea how to tell a parent her daughter had cancer. "Betty had a little incident Friday night and we ended up in the emergency room."

"What on earth happened?" Alice asked, shocked. "I just talked to Betty yesterday and everything seemed fine."

"She didn't want to interrupt your time with the twins," Jughead replied. He paused, his insides churning. "There's no easy way to tell you this, Mrs. Cooper, so I'm just going to come out with it. Betty has cancer."

The line was silent for several seconds. "What are you talking about, Jughead?"

"She has something called acute lymphoblastic leukemia." He realized his voice sounded monotonous, but that was the only way he could prevent himself from becoming emotional. "I'm taking her to the hospital early tomorrow morning to have her port put in for chemo, which starts Tuesday."

There was a choked sob on the other end of the line. Jughead blinked and a tear ran down his cheek. The catharsis he'd had with his dad earlier had certainly helped his own emotional state, but there was no easy way to tell a parent their child was sick. On the other end of the line, he could hear Alice telling Hal the news.

"We'll leave the farm now," Alice told him. "It'll have us getting back around 11 or midnight."

"Why don't you guys come back early in the morning?" Jughead suggested. "Betty has been exhausted, and I'm sure she will go to bed way before you get home. Then, just come straight to the hospital when you get back into Riverdale?" He didn't want any more emotional stress on Betty than absolutely necessary, and though Alice was (mostly) well-intentioned, he wanted to do his best and keep his girlfriend as calm as possible through the turmoil. The doctor had warned them that any added stress would further inhibit her immune system once they began chemotherapy.

There was a pause on the line. "Hal and I want to come back now, Jughead," Alice said quietly, sniffing. "Even if she doesn't wake up and see us tonight, I need to be able to hug my baby."

"Fair enough," Jughead responded. He paused before adding, "Just a fair warning, I'm not leaving her side."

"I would kill you if you did."

0o0o0o0

Archie and Veronica stayed for dinner and left around eight o'clock when Betty began yawning.

"We'll come by to visit you tomorrow," Veronica told her, her hands on both of Betty's shoulders. "If you think of anything you want, you let us know and we'll make it happen, okay?"

"Thanks, V," Betty said, giving her best friend a small smile.

Archie pulled Betty in for a tight hug. Jughead wanted to tell him to be careful with her, but he didn't want to come off as territorial and make an already-awkward situation worse.

"I'm so sorry all of this is happening, Betty," Archie told her, pulling away. "We'll talk to all of your teachers tomorrow and let them know what's happening."

"And you'll bring my homework by tomorrow when you visit?" Betty asked them.

Veronica rolled her eyes, also pulling Betty in for a hug. "How about rather than fret over a history paper outline, you focus on kicking cancer's ass? Just for the next little while."

"I'm going to be in treatment for years, V," Betty told her sadly. "I can't put off school _that_ long. As nice as it sounds."

"You know what I mean. Don't argue with me, Cooper." With that, the couple walked out the door, and once again, Betty and Jughead were alone again.

"Let me help you clean up," Betty said, turning to Jughead. He was putting the rest of the spaghetti sauce in Tupperware.

"Don't be ridiculous," Jughead replied. "You relax, I've got this."

"I'm not invalid, Jug. I want to help," Betty responded angrily, startling the beanie-clad teen.

"Whoa, Betts, you can definitely help. I'm sorry, I just wanted you to be able to rest. You look tired."

"Yeah, well I'm going to look like this for a while so I suggest you get used to it," she snapped. Her brows were furrowed and she had her arms crossed in a defiant stance.

"Okay, okay." Jughead raised his hands in mock-surrender. He walked around the kitchen island to Betty, giving her a concerned look. "You can put the dishes away if you want."

Her face softened. "I'm sorry, Juggie." Betty put her face in her hands. "I'm just so upset, and I'm just getting so _angry_." As soon as she lowered her hands, she balled up her fists, which Jughead gently pulled apart for what seemed like the millionth time that day. "Why does this have to happen to me?" she added quietly, tears gathering in her eyes again.

"Hey, hey," Jughead said softly, pulling her into a hug. He blinked back his own tears. "I don't know why, Betty, but if anyone can beat this, it's you." He paused, pulling away from his girlfriend and smirking down at her. "I don't know what this cancer was thinking. You are hands-down the most stubborn human I know." He was pleased when he received an answering grin.

Thirty minutes later, the dishes were in the dishwasher and the kitchen was cleaned up. Jughead still hadn't told Betty that her parents were coming home, but considering she would see them in the morning, he didn't feel the need to upset her now. It was nearing nine o'clock, and Betty was fading away before his eyes.

"Let's get you to bed," he said gently, wrapping his arm around her waist. Her hip had improved some at this point, managed well with ibuprofen, but by the end of the day he knew she had to be pretty sore.

"Only if you come with me," Betty replied, giving him a mischievous glance. She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a long, deep kiss.

Jughead broke away, doing his best to keep his blood flow to his brain. "Betty, I don't know if that's a good idea," he said, pressing his forehead against hers. He wanted nothing more than to follow through with his girlfriend's suggestion, but seeing her look so fragile and sick, he knew he could never forgive himself if he were to hurt her.

Betty's eyes filled with tears and one leaked down her cheek. "I knew this would happen," she said quietly.

Jughead raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to one side. He was having trouble keeping up with the emotional rollercoaster that was his girlfriend today. "You knew what would happen?"

"I look sick and you're not attracted to me anymore," Betty whispered. Her body visibly deflated. She wrapped her arms around herself and began trudging up the stairwell alone.

Betty's statement was so far from the truth, Jughead remained stunned for several moments. Once he got his wits about him, he followed her up the stairs and into her room. "What in the world are you talking about, Betty?" he asked, still floored. "You are the most beautiful person I've ever seen. How could you think that?"

Betty sat on her side of the bed and wrapped her arms around her knees. She looked incredibly vulnerable. "I read a bunch of forums posts about people whose significant others cheat on them while they're sick because they can't have sex as often and because treatment makes them unattractive. So now I have this visual of me sitting in my hospital bed while you and Toni-"

"-Let me cut you off right there," Jughead interrupted, sitting on the edge of the bed next to Betty. "For several reasons. First off, I went almost seventeen years without having sex. Having to take a little break every now and then for the sake of your health is a non-issue. Secondly, Toni shouldn't even be on your radar. You know how I feel about you, Betty. Nothing and no one is going to change that." He refrained from telling her he and Toni weren't even on speaking terms at the moment.

Betty gave him a small smile. "How do you always know exactly what to say?"

"I guess it's just a gift," Jughead shrugged, grinning at his girlfriend and leaning into kiss her.

"I have one last question," Betty murmured against his mouth as he kissed her. She fisted her hands in the front of his shirt, deepening the kiss.

"What's that?" Jughead asked, already knowing what the question was.

"What if we are _really_ careful?"

"Then I suppose we could make an exception."

 _Author's Note:_ I'm making an effort to add in some fluff to counteract all this angst! Thanks for reading! I really love getting reviews ;)


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note:**_ _Per usual, thank you all for your kind comments and reviews. After spending hours crafting chapters, it really pays off to read them :-)_ _KawaiiKitsune13, there's a section in here for you :-)_

 _ **Disclaimer**_ **:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Jughead woke to someone shaking his shoulder. Blearily, he stared up into the face of Alice Cooper, and in that moment, he found that nothing jolts you awake quite like your mother-in-law staring down at you while you sleep. He had thankfully had the foresight to dress himself after his earlier tryst with Betty, as well as insist that she put her clothes back on as well before drifting into dreamland.

Slipping out from under the covers and into the hallway, Jughead found himself increasingly thankful that it hadn't been Hal to pull him out of their daughter's bed. Alice motioned for him to go downstairs into the living room where they could talk more openly.

Settling down onto the couch, Jughead wiped his face. He had been in the deepest of slumbers, attempting to make up for the exhausting weekend, when Mrs. Cooper had woken him. Looking into their faces, however, Jughead knew they needed answers. The skin on their faces was tight and white, and they both looked like they had aged ten years since he saw them three days previously. It was evident Alice had been crying; her typically perfect makeup was smudged underneath her eyes, whereas Hal simply looked lost.

"Welcome home," he began lamely.

"Tell us everything, Jughead," Hal said wearily.

And he did just that. He started from the beginning with Betty feeling unwell Friday night, to their trip to the hospital, the bone marrow aspiration, and receiving the news yesterday morning. He told them what he knew of the treatment protocol, and the basic facts the doctor told them to expect.

"They say she'll be in the hospital for the first month of intensive chemo," Jughead informed them, "but that the rest of her treatment should be done in an outpatient setting."

Alice nodded and placed her head in her hands. "How did we not notice she was sick, Hal? She's looked thin for days, but I just assumed it was because I told her that her pants were starting to look tight a few weeks ago."

Jughead felt a surge of annoyance, but kept it under wraps. Now was not the time to begin criticizing Alice Cooper's parenting skills.

Hal simply shook his head in response to Alice's question, still looking morose.

"I missed it too," Jughead interjected, defeated. Both Hal and Alice looked at him as he continued. "I thought she was taking our breakup harder than she actually was, and I assumed that was why she was tired. But it's important that we don't' blame ourselves here. Dr. Lloyd really emphasized that when he was talking to Betty and me yesterday. What's important is that we focus on getting her through the treatment."

"What time does she need to get to the hospital tomorrow?" Alice asked him.

"Seven," Jughead replied. He glanced at the clock. It was already after midnight.

Alice nodded, getting to her feet. "Well, we had best get to bed then."

Jughead followed both Hal and Alice up the stairs. When they reached the landing, he hesitated. He didn't know whether or not he was supposed to sleep in the guest room now that they were home.

Sensing his hesitation, Alice turned to him. "It's okay, Jughead. She needs you right now. Regular rules will be reestablished once this nightmare is over."

Jughead nodded, glancing at Hal to make sure that was also okay with him. He nodded and wrapped his arm around Alice, leading her into their room. Jughead let himself into Betty's room where she was still fast asleep and climbed back into the bed. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, burying his face into the back of her neck. ' _We will get through this_ ,' he found himself thinking. ' _We have to get through this'_.

0o0o0o0

The next day, Betty got her port placed under the skin of her chest. The doctors explained to the Coopers and Jughead that chemotherapy can dehydrate the body, and that can make it difficult for nurses to find veins to place IVs for treatment. The port placed under the skin, is connected to the body's cardiovascular system, and provides a consistent place for fluids and treatment to be given.

As the transport team wheeled Betty away for the surgical placement of the port, Jughead leaned down and gave her a long kiss. "I love you," he murmured.

"I love you, too," Betty whispered back. Her eyes were large and luminous against her pale face, and by all accounts, she looked terrified.

"I'll be right here when you get back," Jughead reassured her, walking down the hallway as she was wheeled to the operating room. Though he was doing his best to keep it together in front of Betty, in reality, he was as shaky and nervous as Betty appeared.

Once Betty was in the OR, Jughead took himself to the waiting room where he paced back and forth for what seemed like forever. It was now nine-thirty, and Mr. and Mrs. Cooper were in a meeting with Dr. Tuemler discussing treatment options while their daughter was under knife.

Jughead stopped by the window of the hospital, looking out over Riverdale. It was an annoyingly beautiful day, one that did not represent his morose mood in the least. For the first time in his life, he found himself wishing that he was in class, surrounded by his peers, rather than standing in Riverdale General.

"Jughead Jones, do you have _any_ idea how angry I am with you right now?"

Jughead whirled around to see an angry Kevin Keller standing in the doorway to the waiting room.

Kevin's brows were furrowed and his mouth was set into a firm line. "I should _not_ have to hear that my best friend has cancer secondhand from Veronica Lodge and Archie Andrews."

Jughead's stomach dropped. In the whirlwind that was the past weekend, Jughead had completely forgotten to tell Kevin the news, and apparently Betty had as well.

"Kevin, I-" Jughead began, but Kevin quickly cut him off.

"Who do you think helped her through your breakup when Archie and Veronica were too absorbed within themselves to realize how badly she was hurting? Who stepped up at the Blue and Gold while you were off doing God knows what at Southside High? And who has had her back since day one while you moped in the shadows typing away on your laptop?" Kevin's words sounded angry, but when Jughead looked into the eyes of his friend, he saw emotion and fear.

"I'm sorry, Kev. I messed up." Jughead shrugged. He blinked and a stray tear ran down his cheek. Quickly wiping it away and glancing at the ceiling out of embarrassment, he continued. "This past weekend was complete chaos, and we didn't find out for sure until yesterday. We didn't want to tell anyone before then in case it was a false alarm, but that's no excuse. I should have called you yesterday."

Seeing Jughead's emotion, Kevin's shoulders slumped forward. "It's okay, Jughead," he said softly. "I'm scared and upset. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"It's a stressful time for everyone involved," Jughead said weakly. He sat down, putting his face in his hands and sighing loudly. He heard Kevin sit next to him, and felt his hand clasp his shoulder. The two young men sat in a content, peaceful silence until Kevin stood about fifteen minutes later. Jughead glanced up at him.

"I need to head back to school, I have a math test in half an hour," Kevin sighed, glancing at the slowly ticking clock in the waiting room. "Sorry again for going Brittany circa 2007 on you."

Jughead snickered. "I don't think you were quite at that level, Kev. But don't worry about it. It's water under the bridge."

0o0o0o0

Thirty minutes after Kevin left, Mr. and Mrs. Cooper stopped by the waiting room to tell Jughead that Betty was awake from her procedure. Walking into his girlfriend's room, Jughead saw a very groggy Betty sitting up in her hospital bed. There was a bandage over the skin of the right side of her chest just below her collar bone.

Her eyes were half shut, but a wide smile of recognition spread across her face when she saw Jughead walk in.

"Hi," she slurred happily.

"Hey there," Jughead chuckled, sitting in the seat next to the bed.

"You look very handsome," Betty told him slowly, the wide grin still plastered on her face. It seemed difficult for her to string together more than two words at a time.

"Thank you. You're looking especially beautiful yourself." Jughead smiled. Betty's jolly (albeit drugged) persona was infectious. "How do you feel?"

"I'm great," Betty responded. She patted her bandage a little harder than Jughead was comfortable with, but she didn't seem to notice. "I'm ready for them to start pumping me full of chemicals tomorrow." With that, she flopped back against her pillows with a dramatic flair.

"Don't think of it that way," Jughead told her. He grabbed her hand and stroked it gently. "Think it as one step further to getting better."

"Yeah, yeah." Betty's face morphed into a pout. "You won't want to have sex with me when I don't have any hair."

Jughead's stomach plummeted from his abdomen to his knees as his gaze darted to where Alice and Hal were standing outside the door of Betty's room. Thankfully, they were talking amongst themselves and didn't seem to have noticed their daughter's inappropriate comment.

"Don't be ridiculous, Betts," Jughead murmured. He reached up to stroke her adorable, still-pouting face. "You are beautiful, hair or not."

Betty smiled and closed her eyes, and after a moment, Jughead realized she had fallen asleep mid-conversation. He leaned his head against the side of her bed and watched her sleep for a moment before pulling his laptop out and catching up on some school work.

0o0o0o0

Betty slept for the majority of the afternoon and evening. It wasn't until after dinner that Jughead walked into Betty's room to find her sitting up against her pillows and fully alert conversing with her parents.

"Hey," he smiled warmly. He quickly frowned though, noting the upset expression on both Betty's and her parents' faces. "What's wrong?"

"Dr. Tuemler just left," Betty replied softly. "She was giving us some more in-depth details about chemotherapy and how it affects the body."

"Okay?" Jughead sat in his seat next to the head of the bed. "What did she say? You look unnerved."

Betty's eyes filled with tears. "The chemo I'm receiving doesn't mix very well with the reproductive system. There's a good chance my treatment will make me infertile."

Jughead's mind ceased functioning for a moment. Though he and Betty had not discussed children in the context of their relationship, he knew she really wanted to have kids in the future. He knew this had to be absolutely devastating to her.

Betty continued, tears spilling down her cheeks. "They said I would have to do two weeks of hormone treatments in order to extract any eggs, but they can't wait that long to start my chemo."

Jughead gently stroked her arm. "I'm so sorry, Betty," he whispered.

"Jug, this affects you too," Betty said shakily. Her emotions were building and she was on the verge of full-blown sobbing. "If everything works out between us, what if you want kids and I can't have them?"

Jughead glanced over to Hal and Alice, whose faces were drawn and tight. He wished they weren't there for this conversation, but it was beyond his control at this point.

"Then we adopt." He shrugged, and gave Betty a small smile.

With that, Betty burst into tears and leaned forward, hugging Jughead with her arm that wasn't attached to an IV line. "Thank you," she whispered. "Somehow you always manage to make the worst situations better."

"That's my job," he murmured, kissing her temple. "I meant it, Betty. Kicking cancer's ass is the number one priority right now. We'll deal with everything else later."

 _Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading! I am less than thrilled with this chapter- lots of writer's block has been happening over the last week or so. Happy to have it over with and moving forward!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note: Thank you all so much for your kind words and support on chapter 5. Most of you are guests, so I can't reply individually, but please know each and every one of you are so appreciated! Cyber hugs to all! 3_

 _Disclaimer:_ _All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

Jughead quickly shut off his alarm when it went off at seven o'clock the next morning. He sat up stiffly from where he had fallen asleep in the chair at Betty's bedside the night before. Though it had been a relatively uncomfortable evening, he knew Betty felt better with his presence, and that was all that mattered. Alice and Hal had gone home late the night before upon the insistence of the teenagers, but they had promised they would be back early this morning to keep Betty company while Jughead returned to Riverdale High.

Using the shower in the bathroom of Betty's hospital room, Jughead quickly cleaned himself and got dressed. The walk from the hospital to Riverdale High was substantially shorter than that from the Southside, but he still didn't want to be late. He had promised a persistent Betty that he would talk to her teachers for her as well, though Archie and Veronica had brought her a list of assignments last night. He even had a stack of assignments Betty had completed late the night before to turn into the teachers. Only his girlfriend could be more concerned with staying on top of her schoolwork than being hospitalized with a deadly disease.

Once dressed and packed for the day, Jughead leaned down and planted a soft kiss against his sleeping girlfriend's lips. She looked so peaceful and serene at the moment; the previous night had been a rough one for them both. The analgesics Betty had received during the placement of her port had finally worn off, so she had been in a substantial amount of pain and had had difficulty getting comfortable. And as if that wasn't enough, the nurses and hospital staff had been in every couple of hours checking on Betty's vital signs and asking if they needed anything.

Jughead exited the hospital and squinted through the bright light of morning. It had been a while since he had actually stepped foot outside, and though he already missed his girlfriend, it felt oddly liberating. After fifteen minutes of walking, he stepped foot onto the school grounds and was quickly approached by Archie and Veronica.

"How is she?" Veronica asked without greeting.

"Sleeping right now, thankfully," Jughead replied, rubbing his eyes. He felt like the embodiment of the living dead. "It was a rough night."

Archie looked at him, concerned. "Why, what happened?"

"She was in a lot of pain from the port placement surgery, and had a hard time getting comfortable enough to sleep. But once they got a couple doses of pain medicine into her, she was okay. It just took a while."

"You look exhausted," Veronica said sympathetically, her eyebrows knit together.

"I'm pretty tired," he admitted as the trio walked into the front doors of Riverdale High. "Mr. and Mrs. Cooper said one of them would stay with her tonight, so hopefully I can get some sleep."

"Do you need to stay with me so you're closer to school and the hospital?" Archie offered. "I'm sure my dad won't mind. He's already been in touch with the Coopers about how we can help out."

"I'll let you know," Jughead replied. "Thanks for the offer. I have to drop some stuff off for Betty to her history teacher. I'll meet you guys in math."

Jughead walked to the second floor to give Mrs. Norton, Betty's history teacher, the homework that she had completed the night before.

"She already finished the assignment I sent with Archie yesterday?" Mrs. Norton asked, looking startled. She tucked her shoulder-length brunette hair behind her ear. "That isn't due until next week."

Jughead shrugged, handing the assignment over. "Archie told her that, but she's really stressing about staying on top of things, I guess. She told me to ask you for the next assignment."

Mrs. Norton shook her head and took the handwritten pages. "I'm planning on excusing her from the next assignment. Don't tell her that though," she said when she saw Jughead open his mouth to protest on Betty's behalf. "Just say there isn't anything due at the moment. She is so far ahead in this class that if she got zeros on the rest of her tests and quizzes, she would still pass. Tell Betty I told her to focus on getting better, and that history can wait."

"I can do that." Jughead gave her a small smile. "Thank you for understanding."

"Of course," Mrs. Norton told him. "This is all so unbelievable and sad. How is she?"

"She's okay." Jughead knew this spiel would get old after a while, but Betty's history teacher genuinely seemed to care, rather than just asking out of obligation, which he appreciated. "They put in her port for chemo yesterday, and they're beginning her treatments this afternoon."

"Tell her I'm thinking of her, and that if she needs anything, I'm just a phone call away."

Jughead left the classroom and began walking down the hallway to join Archie and Veronica in their math class. This was one of the few classes that Betty and Jughead had together, so it would be especially painful to sit through it without her. Miraculously, the news of Betty's disease had not spread yet. Archie, Veronica, and Kevin had done a good job keeping things under wraps, and they had asked the teachers to announce the news to their classes this morning to hopefully prevent any off-the-wall Riverdale rumors from forming around Betty's absence.

"Hey, Jones."

Jughead turned around to see Toni hurrying towards him. Her face was set into a scowl.

"Are you going to tell me what the hell your little outburst was about the other day?" Toni asked, crossing her arms across her chest in a defensive stance.

Anger flared within Jughead. "My _little outburst_? Seriously, Toni? You insulted my girlfriend. Why _wouldn't_ I be upset with you?"

"Jughead, you guys have been back together for less than a week, and you're already missing in action here. You haven't been on the Southside at all. If that's not whipped, I don't know what is."

For the second time within days, Jughead did his best to keep himself from launching himself onto Toni. Deep down, he knew that she didn't know what was going on, but at this point, he was too angry to tell her.

"I love my girlfriend, Toni. I'm going to spend as much time with her as I can. I'm sorry if you have an issue with that." He walked away without giving her a chance to respond.

After leaving his conversation with Toni, Jughead returned to the first floor and joined his math class with Archie and Veronica with a minute to spare.

"Good morning, class," Mr. Bentley told them, walking into the room. He shut the door behind him. Immediately, students began pulling out their homework to show him, but he stopped them. "Before we begin today, I have an announcement to make."

Jughead's stomach lurched. This was it, from here on out, the entirety of Riverdale would know about Betty's situation.

"I know the flu has been especially bad this year, and that it has caused many absences," the educator began. His mouth was set into a firm line, "but I would like to call your attention to another health concern that is in our midst. Some of you may have noticed that Betty Cooper was absent yesterday, and is not here again today."

A few people turned around to peer at Jughead, Archie, and Veronica. Jughead did his best to remain stoic, though his emotions were bubbling up within him. When tears threatened to overflow, he glanced at the ceiling and blinked several times. This was the absolute last time for him to become sentimental.

"I regret to inform you that Ms. Cooper will not be rejoining us for some time," Mr. Bentley continued. His brown eyes genuinely conveyed his sorrow. "Class, it appears as though Betty has cancer, and will spend the next month in the hospital receiving chemotherapy."

The eyes that had not turned on to Jughead before were turned around and staring at him now. There were murmurs and the classroom was now filled with a low rumble of shocked conversation. Mr. Bentley continued onward, his voice raised. "It is important for us to remain supportive of Betty even though she cannot be here right now. The teachers are going to send home an announcement for your parents to help the Coopers with meals and other things they may need." He turned to Jughead, "Mr. Jones, is she ready for visitors yet?"

Jughead was startled, he had not planning on talking publicly on the subject. "Probably not quite yet," he responded once he had processed the question. "She starts chemo today, so I would suggest waiting until we see how significant the side effects are going to be."

"Also, if you don't mind keeping her in the dark about some assignments for the time being, it would be greatly appreciated," Archie added. Veronica nodded alongside him. "You all know Betty well enough to know how on top of things she is, but we are trying to get her to focus on feeling better rather than school at the time being. No offense, Mr. Bentley."

"None taken," the teacher responded. "I agree completely. The teachers will come together and form a make-up plan when the time is right."

All of a sudden, Principal Weatherbee's voice came over the loud speaker, adding to the chaos. "Jughead Jones, please report to my office at your earliest convenience."

Jughead glanced at Mr. Bentley who nodded his dismissal. Grabbing his backpack, he slung it over his shoulder and walked to the principal's office. For the first time, he didn't think he was in trouble on his way there. It was quite the novelty. He waved to Principal Weatherbee's secretary, who smiled sympathetically at him and gave him the go-ahead to walk into the office.

"Mr. Jones," Principal Weatherbee said, sitting back in his chair. "Thank you for joining me. I hope you are well, given the circumstances."

Jughead sat in the cushioned chair across from the principal. It was, by far, the most comfortable piece of furniture he had been in during the past 36 hours, and his exhaustion surfaced as he settled into it.

"I'm okay," he replied, still wondering what the principal needed. "What's going on?"

"Well, given the circumstances, Jughead, the staff and I think it is best that those of you close to Betty undergo some counseling to make sure you're processing the situation adequately," Principal Weatherbee told him. "I am going to require you, Mr. Andrews, Mr. Keller, and Ms. Lodge to meet individually with our guidance counselor for weekly sessions to ensure you're coping okay."

The thought of spilling his emotions to anyone other than Betty, his father, or _maybe_ Archie sounded horrendous to Jughead, and he immediately began thinking of ways to get himself out of the meetings.

"With all due respect, Principal Weatherbee, I think I'm doing okay," Jughead told him.

"I am afraid I will not be accepting any excuses from any of you, Mr. Jones. As I said, this is a requirement from me at the moment. I was going to make you begin today, but our guidance counselor is out with the flu, along with half of the school it seems, so it will have to begin next week."

Jughead left the office twenty minutes later. Principal Weatherbee had used their remaining time together to give him evidence about the importance of guidance and counseling through traumatic events. Though he was dreading the meetings, he didn't see any way around it at that time, and opted to just deal with it.

The rest of the day went by slower than any day Jughead could remember. He lost count of the number of people that came up to him and apologized for what he was going through. Even Cheryl Blossom pulled him aside to offer him her condolences and to extend an olive branch. Each time, he assured the whomever it was that he was fine, and that he would send Betty their well wishes. By the time he felt as though six hours had passed, it was barely lunch time. His head was throbbing, and he was in a genuinely foul mood. His texts with Betty had told him that her chemotherapy treatment had just begun, and he wanted nothing more than to be by her side.

"You need to eat something, Jug," Archie told him in between bites of his sandwich. Veronica and Kevin nodded by his side.

"I'm not hungry," Jughead replied, staring at his phone screen. Betty had not replied in the last five minutes, and he was starting to worry irrationally. "Do either of you have Tylenol or something? My head's killing me."

Veronica fished out a couple pills from her purse and handed them to him. He took them dry, swallowing a couple times to ensure they were down. As he looked up, he saw several people staring at their table and looking away as he glanced at them.

"This can't be over soon enough," he muttered, massaging his temples.

By the end of the school day, Jughead was over it. And what was "it" exactly? At that point, he wasn't sure. The Tylenol Veronica gave him hadn't touched his headache, and he was already tired of people asking him whether or not he was okay, as well as giving updates on Betty. She had thankfully been replying to his text messages by that point, but her responses had not been a wealth of information. Walking across the school grounds, he set out on his trek to the hospital, beyond grateful to be leaving the school for the day.

"Jug, wait up."

For the second time that day, Toni ran up behind Jughead, trying to catch up with him. And, in that moment, it was the absolute last situation Jughead wanted to deal with.

"What, Toni?" he asked. He was sure, by that point, that Toni had heard the news about Betty and connected the dots with his strange behavior. However, that did not alleviate any of his less-than-friendly sentiments towards her.

"Jughead, I didn't know," she told him solemnly. Her brown eyes were large and sincere. "I'm so sorry. I would have never-"

"Toni, just stop right there," Jughead interrupted her. His pounding head was causing his eyes to water, and he was exhausted to the point of almost feeling too weak to stand up. This was not a conversation he wanted to have, so he opted to end it then and there. "You have never liked Betty. You have never been supportive of our relationship, and you certainly haven't gone out of your way to help her integrate into the Southside culture. As a result, I'm sure she isn't interested in any sympathy from you right now. I'm sure as hell not interested in hearing it. So, if you're done, I have a _really_ sick girlfriend that quite frankly deserves my time and attention more that you at the moment."

And with that, he continued on his way to the hospital, leaving a shocked Toni Topaz in his wake for the second time that day.


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Note: Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews. You sure know how to make a girl's day :)_

 _Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

Jughead walks through the doors of the hospital and sprints up the three flights of stairs to get to Betty's room. He doesn't think there was any way he had ever covered that much distance in that short amount of time. Ignoring the burning in his lungs and aching in his head, he power walks down the hallway, nodding to a few of the now-familiar nurse along the way.

As he walks, he wonders if there is any way for him to convert to online schooling for the time being; his day at school had been absolutely miserable without Betty there. He reminds himself that this was more than likely only for a month, and that barring any complications, Betty will return to school after these four weeks of hell.

Jughead hustles through the doors of Betty's room- 316- and he finds Betty sitting up and waiting on him. He isn't sure what he had expected to change between 7 AM and 3 PM, but he is relieved to see that she looks mostly the same. The only difference is the bag hanging from her IV pole with a big yellow "CHEMOTHERAPY" sticker on it. The bag looks mostly empty at this point, though.

"Hi," Betty smiled.

"How do you feel?"

"So far, so good."

Jughead walks to his chair next to her bed and sits down after removing his backpack. He grabs her hand and revels in the feeling of it between his. He's been craving this simple contact for almost nine hours, and to finally have it feels like a junkie scoring a fix.

"Today might have been the longest day of my life," he tells her.

"I'm fine, Juggie," she murmurs. "All I did was sit here _all day_. The only thing that was different is some medicine." She gestures to the tubing that's connected to her chest.

"I don't know how I'm going to do this next month at school without you, Betts. Everyone kept wanting to talk to me, asking me how you were…it was enough human contact to last me a year."

Betty laughs, and the sound is music to Jughead's ears. An old tune he had not heard in quite some time.

"I'm sorry that people are troubling you about my well-being. I realize that must be quite a hindrance to your goal of minimizing social interaction." A small smile still curves the corners of her mouth.

"It really has been," he teases. He pulls her hand to his mouth and kisses it.

She notices the deep bags beneath his eyes, and his already pale face is unusually pallid. "Are _you_ okay? You look pale." Betty runs her hands through the stray curls poking out beneath his beanie.

"I'm fine. Nothing a good night of sleep won't fix," he easily dismisses. His head gives a particularly painful throb, which he ignores.

Betty doesn't look thoroughly convinced, but she leaves it alone.

"So, no side effects from the chemo yet?" he asks, changing the subject from himself.

"So far so good," Betty shrugs. "I've just been bored out of my mind."

For the next hour, Jughead filled Betty in on the details of his day at Riverdale High. He told her about how every single teacher pulled him, Archie, or Veronica aside to ask about her, along with every one of their peers, and about Principal Weatherbee's forced counseling sessions.

During their conversation, Betty's nurse, Joanna, comes to disconnect her from the chemotherapy infusion, and just like that, her first chemo treatment is in the books.

"One down, a _lot_ more to go," Betty says as the nurse throws away the bag in a specialized container.

"Hey, don't think like that. You're a step closer to beating this." Jughead sees Joanna smile at his comment as she leaves the room.

"You're right," Betty smiles. "Have you talked to Toni? You mentioned you weren't speaking a day or two ago."

"Have I exchanged words with Toni, or are we on speaking terms again?"

Betty gives him a pointed look.

He sighs. "I kinda went off on her earlier when she was asking how you were. And I _may_ be feeling a little guilty about it now."

This was true. On his walk to the hospital from Riverdale High, he had ruminated over the harsh words he had uttered to his friend earlier. He regrets what he said, but is also feeling too proud to actually do anything about it at the moment.

"Jug," Betty sighs, taking his hand in hers again. He notices it feels a little clammy. "You're really going to need a support system to get through this. One that I may not be totally available for right now. I know she and I haven't always seen eye-to-eye, but she's important to you, and you're going to need her."

"I know, I know. I'm planning on apologizing tomorrow if she'll hear me out." He glances down at Betty who has fallen silent. Her face has suddenly become as white as a sheet, and reddish circles have appeared beneath her big green eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"I think I'm going to be sick."

Jughead springs into action, looking for a basin for Betty to get sick into, but unfortunately, it's too late. She retches and throws up down the front of her gown and into her sheets. Her frail frame heaves and heaves, emptying the contents of her lunch all over herself and her bed. Jughead returns from his search to rub her back as she struggles to control the aftermath dry heaves. Without making a large fuss, he presses the call button to summon the nurse.

"I am _so_ sorry," Betty sobs, wiping her mouth on the back of her trembling hand. She has tears running down her reddened cheeks, clearly embarrassed. "That came out of nowhere."

"Stop apologizing. You're being ridiculous." Jughead stokes her hair comfortingly and then spies the emesis basin on the counter by the sink. If only he had seen that earlier.

"This is disgusting," she moans, looking down at her soiled gown.

"We'll get you cleaned up, no big deal," Jughead tells her evenly. He takes to breathing through his mouth; the smell in the room is less than ideal.

Joanna hurries through the room, and her brow creases when she sees the mess in Betty's bed. "Oh no," she says, donning gloves. "Let's get you cleaned up."

"I'm sorry, the nausea came out of nowhere. I didn't have time to lean over the edge of the bed," Betty tells her shakily. She still has tears running down her cheeks and appears frazzled.

"Don't worry about it," the nurse tells her, smiling and rubbing Betty's shoulder. She begins to use a towel to wipe some of the vomit from the front of Betty's gown. "This actually makes for easier clean up, anyway! New sheets are a dime a dozen around here. Do you feel like you're going to get sick again, or do you think you're done?"

"I think I'm done."

"We'll get you in the shower to clean you up, if you're strong enough to stand, and while you're in there I can strip the bed."

"I can help get her clean," Jughead offers. He knows how modest his girlfriend is, and knows that she would prefer him to help rather than a stranger.

The nurse hesitates. "What do you prefer, Betty?"

"Jughead can help me. It's okay."

Joanna unhooks Betty's IV, and then Jughead and the nurse get Betty to the edge of the bed. She is still trembling as an aftermath of the episode, and it takes a firm grasp on both of her arms to get her into the bathroom. The nurse helps Betty sit on a stool inside while the shower warms up.

"You're sure you two are okay?" the nurse asks, looking between Jughead and Betty. Jughead senses that she is reluctant to leave the two of them together with nakedness involved.

"We're fine, I promise," Betty assures her.

"I'm going to leave the door cracked a little just in case you guys need anything." Joanna opens the cupboard below the sink and pulls out washcloths, soap, and towels for them to use.

"Thank you." Betty's voice is soft and sounds exhausted.

Once Joanna leaves the room and the shower is adequately warm, Jughead helps Betty stand and moves the stool into the shower so she can sit underneath the cascade. He undoes the back of the soiled gown and helps her slip it off, throwing it into the corner of the bathroom.

Even in sickness, Betty is stunning. Jughead lightly traces her fading bruises around her waist as he helps her sit on the stool.

"Your bruises are looking better."

Betty nods. "I have some new ones now though." She gestures to the IV port inserted into her arm. Sure enough, the area is purple and blotchy.

Jughead grabs a wash cloth and eyes Betty's hands, which are still trembling violently.

"Do you want me to wash you, or do you want to do it?"

"Do you mind?" She has never looked more vulnerable. It makes Jughead's chest constrict.

"Of course not."

He puts soap onto the wash cloth and gently runs it all over Betty's body, making sure to get everywhere that was in the path of the throw up, in addition to the spots that were not visibly soiled. Jughead imagined Betty felt pretty grimy after sitting in the hospital for two days, as well as her vomit, and that it probably felt good to finally get a shower.

As he cleans her, he realizes this is probably the most intimate the they have ever been. Sure, sex was plenty intimate, but somehow, in this moment of vulnerability, he has never felt closer to her. He moves the wash cloth to her back and slowly wipes it, avoiding her bruises as to not worsen them.

"Do you want me to wash your hair while you're in here?"

"Do you mind?" She peers up at him with her big green eyes and his heart breaks in two.

"Of course I don't." He hopes she doesn't hear his voice crack.

He begins by making sure all of the vomit is rinsed from her beautiful strands of blonde hair before moving on to pamper his girlfriend a little. Jughead massages shampoo into her scalp and he sees her relax against his hands.

"This feels so good," she murmurs, shutting her eyes.

"I'm glad. Anything to make you feel a little better."

Once the shampoo is rinsed, Jughead asks her if she needs anything else before they shut off the water.

"I need conditioner too," she tells him, looking at him quizzically.

"What's that?"

Betty looks at him like he's grown a second head. "Conditioner? Like for my hair?"

Jughead shakes his head, at a loss. "Betty, I'm a dude who lives in a household without any females. I have no idea what you're talking about."

Betty giggles and points at another bottle on the side of the sink. "That goes in my hair too."

Jughead squirts the contents of the bottle into his hands and rubs them together. "Ugh. This feels like lotion. You're sure this goes in your hair?"

"Positive," Betty laughs. "Try getting a hair brush through my hair without using that and see what happens."

Jughead rubs the conditioner into her hair and rinses it once he's done. "Anything else I can do for you?"

"I don't think so. This isn't how I imagined our first shower together. I'm sorry."

"Betty Cooper, if you don't stop apologizing to me, I will be forced to implement cruel and unusual punishment against you." Jughead turns the water off and quickly drapes a towel over his girlfriend's shoulders. He gently helps her dry off.

Joanna pops her head into the bathroom and Betty covers herself with the towel.

"Everything going okay in here?" she asks.

"Everything is good, thank you," Betty responds. She gives the nurse a small smile.

"Here is a fresh gown for you. I left some lotion on the table by your bed. The chemo is going to dehydrate you, so it's important to keep your skin moisturized."

"Thank you so much," Betty tells her.

Once Jughead helps Betty dress, he assists her back to her bed. She is much steadier on her feet this time around, having recovered from her nausea.

"Do you need me to brush your hair out for you?" he asks once she is sitting cross-legged in her fresh linens.

"I think I can do it."

Betty picks the brush up from the bedside table and shakily runs the brush through her hair. Though she seems much steadier overall, Jughead notices that her hands still tremble slightly. It takes her a bit longer than usual, but before long, her wet hair is successfully brushed out.

"Do you know how to braid?"

Jughead looks at her blankly. "Do I _look_ like I know how to braid? Betty, you taught me what conditioner was like ten minutes ago."

Betty smiles. "It's not hard. I'll show you how." She pulls a piece of hair by her face and slowly shows Jughead how to braid it.

"I'll give it a try," he shrugs, sitting behind her on the bed.

He gathers her hair in his hands, staring at it for a moment, doing his best to imagine how to do what Betty just demonstrated. He splits her hair into three equal pieces and slowly but surely fumbles Betty's hair into a makeshift braid.

It isn't until he's halfway done that he realizes his girlfriend is crying. Her shoulders shake as she stifles a sob, doing her best to hide her tears from Jughead.

"Hey," he murmurs, quickly finishing the braid and wrapping his arms around her. He kisses the back of her neck and nuzzles her with his nose. "What's wrong, Betts?"

She doesn't answer him for a moment, and before she does, she lets out a long, shuddering breath. "I really don't want to lose my hair, Juggie."

Jughead tightens his arms around her and pulls her into his lap. He notes that it already feels like she's lost weight since coming to the hospital, but has the sense not to mention it. Jughead sighs and buries his head into the crook of Betty's neck, holding her as tight as possible without hurting her.

"Betty Cooper, I know you don't want to lose your hair. But I want you to know that, in my eyes, you are the most beautiful human alive. You don't need hair to be sexy. And I'm going to love you for the rest of my life for who you are, regardless of whether or not you have hair on your head."

"I love you," she whispers back to him. "Thank you."

"That's what I'm here for, Betts."

0o0o0o0

Jughead stayed at the hospital that night until eight o'clock, when Hal and Alice came to relieve him. During that time, Betty had gotten sick twice more, and was beginning to feel the effects of her first chemotherapy treatment. Thankfully, they had thought to move the basin to her bed just in case, and no more showers or sheets were necessary.

Archie and Veronica had stopped by briefly, but when they could see that Betty was not feeling up to visitors, they cut their visit short.

Jughead walked back to the Cooper residence to sleep, having been given a key by Hal. He is thankful he doesn't have to walk all the way back to the Southside; the weather is chilly and it has just begun to rain as well. By the time he reaches 111 Elm Street, he is thoroughly soaked and freezing.

Teeth chattering, he strips off his soaked clothing and jumps into a hot shower, enjoying the cascade of hot water down his back. He quickly cleans himself for the second time that day and emerges much more comfortable five minutes later.

His headache had remained persistent throughout the afternoon and evening, and his body feels like it had been run over by a semi-truck; this has to be the most exhausted he's ever been. Though he misses Betty terribly already, he knows it's important for him to get rest as well.

He settles back into Betty's bed, deeply breathing in the smell from her pillows. Betty's smell is one of his favorite things about her; it is the perfect combination of wildflowers and strawberry. No matter what happens in the couple's future, he will never forget that smell.

Jughead grabs his phone and texts Betty goodnight. He can't remember the last time he went to bed this early, but his body was screaming for a long night of sleep. It will be another miserable day at school tomorrow, but maybe a good night's rest would make it a little more bearable.

Once he receives a goodnight text from Betty, he sets his alarm and rolls over and falls asleep faster than ever before.

0o0o0o0

The next morning, Jughead knows he is sick before he even opens his eyes. Cold sweat lines his skin, his head is throbbing, and every inch of his body _hurt_.

"Ugh," he groans to nobody. His throat feels swollen shut, and his nose is congested too, just to add insult to injury.

This was _so_ not his week.

Slowly crawling out of bed, Jughead jumps in the shower to try to wake himself up. His body still feels exhausted. He gets dressed, grabs his backpack, and meets Archie out front for the trek to school.

"Dude, you look like shit."

"Good morning to you too." Jughead doesn't recognize the nasally, hoarse voice that he emits.

Archie's brows knit together as he looks over his best friend. "You need to go to the school nurse."

"I'm planning on it. I don't think I could make it through the day like this."

True to his word, Jughead walks straight to the school nurse upon entering the high school. She gives him one look before taking a swab of his throat for a rapid flu test.

As Jughead sits waiting on his results, his heart races. Betty's oncologist told them that she would have no immune system during treatment, and that it is imperative that none of her visitors are sick. If he had the flu, that would mean he couldn't see her for a _long_ time. Way longer than he ever wants to go without seeing her, cancer or not.

The nurse walks back into his room fifteen minutes later and gives him a sympathetic glance. "I'm sorry, Mr. Jones," she says, "but your test came back positive for influenza A."

 _Author's Note: At some point, I promise I'll be nice to these characters. Reviews make my day ;)_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's Note:**_ _You guys have no idea how much I appreciate your continued support. I wish there was a way I could respond to all of the "guest" reviews as well- you are all so amazing!_

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ _All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

The cool glass of FP's truck window feels amazing against Jughead's feverish cheek during the ride home from school. The nurse called his father before he had the option to walk to Sunnyside Trailer Park on his own, and though he had initially been annoyed, he finds himself incredibly thankful in the present.

This is, hands down, the sickest Jughead has ever felt, and yet, his physical discomfort does not come close to the emotional duress of knowing he cannot see Betty for 5 days. Luckily, the school nurse had one last dose of Tamiflu to give him to shorten the duration of the bug, and rather than having to wait 7-10 days to see Betty, he is now only contagious for 5 days.

Speaking of Betty, he has not heard from her yet today, and he finds himself hoping that the lack of contact means that she is actually getting some well-deserved rest. He absolutely dreads having to tell her he can't see her for the rest of the week.

Once back home, FP grabs Jughead's backpack and wraps his arm around his son's shoulders, walking him to the trailer. He leads him to his bedroom and tells him that he'll take the couch until Jughead is feeling better.

Jughead collapses into the bed, groaning as his aching muscles finally get to relax. The cool pillow feels almost as good as the truck's window had against his feverish head, which had clocked in at an impressive 102.7 according to the nurse's thermometer.

"Whatcha need, kid?" FP asks, sitting on the edge of the bed. He hands Jughead a glass of water and some Tylenol, complying with the nurse's orders.

Jughead takes the medication and lays back down. He shakes his head.

"Nothing. Thanks for coming to get me, Dad."

FP gives him a small smile and slips the beanie from off his head. "Get some rest, Jug."

Jughead's eyelids are heavy and as soon as he hears FP close the door behind him, he shuts them. Though he knows he should sleep, his sore throat and headache keep him awake, along with ruminating thoughts on how Betty may be feeling. He knows he needs sleep to get better, but he finds himself unable to shut his brain off for the time being. His stomach aches knowing that he can't see his girlfriend until Monday at the earliest.

In the end, as he finally conquers his discomfort and thoughts, Jughead falls into a deep, dreamless sleep.

But of course, the moment Jughead finally drifts off into slumber, his phone begins vibrating and wakes him up. Groaning, he grabs his phone and sees Betty's name and face on the screen.

"Hey Betts," he rasps into the phone.

"Hey, I hadn't heard from you today and I was worried. Wait- Juggie, you sound _terrible_."

Betty's voice does sound weaker than usual, but it sounds no worse than it did last night, and that gives Jughead some semblance of solace.

"Yeah," Jughead responds sadly, "I went to the school nurse today and I tested positive for the flu, Betty. And I'm going to be contagious for the next five days so I'm not allowed to visit you. I'm _so_ sorry." Tears spring to his eyes. "This is my worst nightmare come true, Betts," he adds in a hoarse whisper.

There was a brief pause on the phone. "Jughead, don't apologize!" Betty tells him. "You've been so focused on me the past few days, you wore yourself into the ground. You need to take some time to rest."

"I'm in my dad's bed as we speak."

"Do you feel terrible?" she asks softly.

"I have certainly had better days." He pulls himself into a sitting position, grimacing as his body revolts to the movement. "I've never actually had the flu, so this is a first. Per usual, my timing is impeccable."

Betty gives a sad laugh through the phone. "Do you need anything? I can send my parents with any supplies you might need-"

"Betty," Jughead interrupts, "please don't focus on me right now. Yes, the flu sucks and I feel like I'm drowning in my own phlegm here, but you need to focus on yourself. I'll get better with some R and R, and the second I'm cleared, I'll be right back by your side. I promise."

"Okay. But I'm still allowed to worry about you, Jug. Also, side note, did you know that 'phlegm' is hands-down my least favorite word in existence?"

Jughead laughs, but it turns into a painful, hacking cough. Once he recovers, he responds, "Seriously? I thought everyone's least favorite word is 'moist'."

"Ugh. That one's up there too."

Jughead smiles. "How was your night? Did you get some sleep?"

"Yeah, it was definitely my best night of sleep yet. The nurse gave me some nausea medication and it helped for the most part. I got sick again this morning but it wasn't much."

"Good. Glad to hear you finally got some rest."

"You sound like _you_ need to get some rest," Betty tells him.

"You might be right, but I'm so glad you called. I already missed your voice."

"Are you getting sentimental on me, Jones?" Jughead could hear the smile in her voice.

"I plead the fifth," he tells her. "I'll call you when I wake up. I love you, Betty."

"Love you too, Juggie."

0o0o0o0

Jughead sleeps for the majority of the rest of the day. The slumber is not restful; the burning in his throat, aching in his limbs, and throbbing in his head make sure to wake him at least every hour or two, but even a day of restless sleep in his home is preferable to anything else at the moment.

FP comes in diligently every four hours with another dose of Tylenol to keep his fever down, though Jughead does experience some breakthrough chills and sweating.

Around seven PM, Jughead wakes up fully. He checks his phone to see a couple texts from Betty and his heart lurches, fumbling with the phone until it unlocks. Luckily, the texts are nothing vital, just a couple 'get well soon' messages along with some details of her day. He tries to clear his throat in order to call her, but it doing so, it feels like an attempt to swallow Cutco's newest, sharpest blade, and he resorts to sending her a text.

 _Hey. Sorry, been sleeping all day. The flu is no joke. How are you feeling?_

He rolls over to drink a sip of water, which aids the pain in his throat momentarily before it makes a searing return. Jughead gets out of bed to pee, and passes his dad in the hallway.

"He lives," FP smirks. He reaches out and puts a hand on Jughead's shoulder. "How you feeling, boy?"

"Alive, somehow," Jughead responds. "Thanks again for looking out for me today. I couldn't have done it without you."

FP gives an almost-imperceptive shift from foot to foot. "Yeah, well, I should have been there for you when you were sick as a kid. I've got a lot of making up to do."

Jughead snorts. "This is way sicker than I ever was as a kid, so you've made up for it just in the nick of time."

The fifteen minutes that he spends out of bed exhausts him. Once Jughead finishes his business in the restroom, FP gives him a dinner of saltines and ginger ale and sends him back to bed. Upon laying down, Jughead finds a text from Betty waiting on him.

 _Get some rest, don't worry about me :)_

Knowing full well that he's going to fall back asleep within minutes, Jughead sends her a goodnight text. It is definitely the earliest he's ever bid his girlfriend goodnight, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and he is beyond desperate to see her again as soon as possible.

0o0o0o0

The next day, Jughead feels mostly the same, though he finds he has slightly more energy than before. The spends the majority of the day dozing on the couch, watching television, and texting with Betty until there is a rapping on the door around 4 PM. He opens the door to see Toni Topaz standing on his front porch, who breezes right in and makes herself at home.

"Hey," he wheezes. He sits on the opposite end of the couch from her. Hopefully his germs won't spread that far.

"You look and sound like shit."

"So I've been told." There is an awkward pause between the friends. "Look, Toni. I'm really sorry for lashing out at you the other day. The past week has been absolute hell, and I took it out on you, and for that I'm really sorry."

"Save it, Jones," she replies, holding up a hand. "I know you didn't mean any of that stuff. I'm not upset with you. I'll save your ass kicking for a day where it would be a slightly fairer fight."

Jughead breathes out a sigh of relief. Though he spent the past twenty-four hours mainly focused on Betty and how crappy he felt, he would be lying if he said he hadn't given any thought to the Toni situation.

"Thanks," he says quietly. He unwraps his fifth cough drop that hour and puts it in his mouth.

"I just got back from visiting Betty. She's the one that sent me here."

Jughead's stomach lurches. "Really? How is she?" He knows he sounds desperate, but he's far from caring.

"She looks pretty good, all things considered."

Jughead exhales slowly and rubs his face. Though he had talked to Alice the day before, it still comforts him knowing someone he trusts as much as Toni has put eyes on his girlfriend.

"Thank goodness," he murmurs. "Toni, thank you so much for dropping by to see her. I know you think I'm a sap when it comes to Betty, but she's everything to me. And for me to not be able to see her while she's this sick? It's absolutely _killing_ me."

Toni gives him a sympathetic smile. "You are a sap, Jones. But my eyes have been opened in terms of relationships recently, so I have no room to cast stones at the moment."

"Oh yeah? Who's the lucky person?"

She gives him a sly smile. "Well, that would be telling…"

Toni stays for half an hour, catching Jughead up on both school and Serpent dealings; however, as soon as she senses Jughead has reached his flu-induced socialization quota, she takes her leave. She leaves a large stack of make-up schoolwork for Jughead as she walks towards the door.

"Get some rest, Jones," she tells him. "You can't stay cooped up in this trailer forever- your girl needs ya."

0o0o0o0

The next day, Jughead feels mostly like himself, aside from a cough and slight muscle aches. He works on homework for the majority of the late morning and early afternoon, attempting to get as much done as possible while he can't see Betty. Speaking of, he's sent several texts over the past few hours to his girlfriend, none of which have been returned. He tells himself not to worry, but he finds it impossible. Every minute he spends doing math homework, he spends two thinking about how Betty may be feeling in that exact moment.

He texts Archie and Veronica to see if they have heard from his girlfriend, but they have experienced radio silence as well. Archie informs him that she was exhausted yesterday, and that she may still be sleeping today. Jughead tells himself that _must_ be the explanation, and finishes two more hours of homework before pacing the hallway in the trailer. Every few laps, he sits down on the couch for a few minutes. His anxiety manifests itself in his stomach, and at times he wonders if he is going to vomit.

Jughead attempts to call her again, but the phone rings six times before going to her voicemail. He calls twice more, knowing she wouldn't answer, but simply wanting to hear her voice on the recorded message.

"Hey," he says on the third call. "I haven't heard from you yet today, so I'm a little worried. Just call me when you get a chance. I love you, bye."

He hangs up the phone and continues his routine of pacing the trailer.

By six in the evening, Jughead still has not heard anything, and by this point, he is sure something is wrong. He calls Archie and Veronica again, but neither of them know anything either. Archie vows to go to the hospital after he finishes dinner with his dad if they still haven't heard anything.

Jughead paces the hallway for fifteen more minutes before his phone buzzes. He looks down and sees Betty's name on his phone screen. _Thank God._

"Betty, are you okay?" he answers. His heart is racing against his chest, and he has to sit down on the couch to prevent his headache from worsening.

"Jughead, it's Alice."

His stomach sinks to his knees.

"Is everything okay?"

Alice sighs. "Yes and no. It's been a really rough day for Betty. I just wanted to let you know she's stable and okay now."

 _Stable?_ "What happened?" He can feel his heartbeat radiating through his entire body.

"She got really sick from the chemo today; she couldn't stop vomiting, which apparently got her electrolytes all out of whack, and she ended up having a seizure."

Jughead freezes. "A seizure?" he croaks.

"Yes, a seizure," Alice confirms. "Like I said, she's okay now. She passed all of her cognition tests with flying colors, and the doctors started her on a different type of IV, which will keep her electrolytes up more. She's been sleeping all afternoon; she was exhausted from vomiting all morning. I just wanted to keep you in the loop."

"Thank God she's okay," Jughead groans into the phone. He sits back into the couch, rubbing his face. _He should have been there today._

"She's fine. I just don't foresee her waking up again today. They sedated her a bit to get her to sleep."

"Thanks for letting me know. I've been going nuts over here."

"How are you feeling? I've heard this flu is a bad one," Alice sympathizes.

"I'm okay. The Tamiflu did a good job shortening the course of it. I'm just going stir crazy not being able to see Betty."

"Well, you keep getting better, and we will see you Monday. I'll make sure Betty gets in touch with you as soon as she wakes up."

"Thanks, Mrs. Cooper."

0o0o0o0

The weekend passes slower than any weekend Jughead can remember. He remains a prisoner of Sunnyside Trailer Park. Though Archie and Veronica offer to visit, he doesn't want to risk exposing them to the flu if they are planning on visiting Betty. By all accounts, his girlfriend's condition has improved, but he still wants to see for himself. In all sixteen years of his life, he has never wanted Monday to come so badly.

And finally, it is Monday morning, and halfway through his walk to Riverdale High, Jughead makes the executive decision to skip school that day. He's already missed so much recently, so what's one more? He power-walks to the hospital, occasionally having to take rest breaks for his lungs, which still haven't _quite_ bounced back like he had hoped. Once inside the hospital, he rides in the elevator to conserve energy, and resumes his quick pace down the hallway to his girlfriend's room.

As he walks to the door, a grin stretches from one ear to the other. Jughead can't remember looking forward to _anything_ as much as he has looked forward to this moment. So, when he walks into the room to see Betty hunched over crying, it feels as though someone has stripped the wind from his sails.

"Hey," he says quietly. There is nobody else in the room at the moment, and he can't identify why she would be crying by herself. "What's wrong, beautiful?"

Betty looks up at him, her large green eyes full of tears. "Hi," she sniffs and wipes her nose with her hand. "I'm sorry, I promise I'm really happy to see you."

"Shh, I know that, Betts. What's going on?"

"I just woke up," she responds shakily, "and when I sat up to get a drink of water, this was on my pillow." She lets out a rattling sob as she picks up a sizable chunk of blonde hair off of the bed.

Jughead gives a large sigh; he had been wondering when this particular side effect of chemotherapy would begin. Placing Betty's hand in his, he strokes it comfortingly.

"You're beautiful. You know that, right?"

Betty smiles at him through her tears. "I know _you_ think that."

"Well, that makes it fact." He strokes her hand. "What can I do for you right now?"

"Nothing," she sighs. Betty feels around on her scalp self-consciously. "I guess I should call my mom and tell her to bring the clippers and a hat."

"Nonsense." Jughead reaches up with shaking hands, strips his beanie from his head, and places it on Betty's. "It looks much better on you, anyway."

Betty's shock is evident. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure." He gives her a sly sideways glance. "I'm not sure if you've ever noticed, Betts, but I have a _great_ head of hair."

 _Author's Note: This entire story was based off of me thinking about any instances where Jughead would let Betty wear his hat. :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter- I love reading reviews! Thank you SO much for reading! On to working on the next chapter ;)_

 _Also, in other news, I have decided to attempt tumblr again. I made one a million years ago and never got the hang of it, but I'm slowly but surely trying to learn the ropes now- follow me at elsaunfiltered :)_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Author's Note:**_ _Surprise update! Spring break has given me a little more time to ignore school and write this instead. Per usual, thank you all for your kind words on the last chapter :-)_

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ _All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

True to her word, Betty calls her mother and tells her to bring the hair clippers to the hospital. The nurses have warned her that they support whatever decision she makes with regard to her hair, but it can get extremely messy while it is falling out, which is why most people choose to just shave their heads once the chemo starts this particular side effect.

"I don't want to do this," Betty moans, looking at the clippers in Jughead's hand.

"Betty, we don't have to do anything you don't want to. We can just let it take its course naturally." Jughead moves to put the clippers on the bedside table, but Betty stops him.

" _No,_ it's going to happen before long anyway. We should just get it over with." Betty's eyes shine with tears as Jughead gives her his arm to lean on during their trek to the bathroom. She hardly uses it though; other than being upset about losing her hair, Betty appears to be having a good day.

Jughead helps Betty onto the stool and leans her back against the sink, so her hair will be mostly contained. The hair that does hit the ground will fall onto a towel he had thought to lay down ahead of time. He turns on the clippers and looks down at his girlfriend, who frankly looks terrified.

"You ready?" he asks her, giving her back a reassuring rub.

"No."

"Really, we can wait to do this later if you want."

Betty sighs. "No, we need to do it now. My chemo will start soon." She glances up at him, giving him a timid, yet mischievous smile. "Can we make this fun?"

Jughead smiles. Betty's grin is infectious; it is such a rare sight these days that it makes him melt on sight. "Of course. What do you have in mind?"

"I've always wanted to see what I would look like with an undercut."

Jughead's smile broadens into a grin. There are very few things he would find sexier than Betty with an undercut. "I can _totally_ do that." He grabs one of the guards and puts it on the razor.

Betty parts her hair to the side for him, and Jughead scoops in with the trimmers. Long blonde hair falls onto the towel on the ground and into the sink. He makes a mental note to remove it to the trash later. He slowly trims along her part and around her ear, and before they know it, Betty has an undercut. It looks better than Jughead ever imagined.

Betty stands up and looks in the mirror. She runs her hand along the short hair on the side of her head, giving a slight smile.

"What do you think?"

Jughead meets her eyes in the mirror. "I think that once you have hair again, you should _totally_ rock an undercut." He looks away after he speaks because, for the life of him, he cannot stop thinking about what he would like to do with her at that exact moment.

Betty laughs and continues to run her hand through clipped portion of her hair. "It does look pretty cool, huh?"

"Uh huh," Jughead replies, still making dedicated eye contact with the ceiling of the bathroom.

Betty turns around. "What's wrong, Juggie?" She grins at his evasive behavior, knowing exactly what was going on.

"Nothing."

Betty walks up to her boyfriend and wraps her arms around his waist. "I think you like my haircut," she whispers in his ear.

Jughead has to work _really_ hard not to moan out loud. He does he best to prevent himself from reacting to Betty's advance, but there is only so much a teenage male can do in situations like these.

"You might be right."

Betty kisses along his jawline and up to his mouth. "I feel good today. What if we capitalized on that?" she murmurs.

"Betty, we can't. We're in the hospital," Jughead replies, falling prey to her assault.

"I promise to be quiet." Betty runs her hands down his chest and abdomen, finally reaching her destination.

Jughead's knees buckle at the contact. Though it actually hasn't been that long, it feels like forever since they've been intimate, and it takes every ounce of his willpower to stop her from continuing. He steps back, breaking away from her contact. He runs a hand through his hair and does his best to think about anything but the vixen standing in front of him.

"Betty, you have _no clue_ how much I want to do this with you right now. But it's a bad idea. The nurses are in and out of here all the time, and I don't know, it just doesn't seem like a good idea. No matter how much I want to, and no matter how _unbelievably_ attractive you are with that undercut."

Betty gives him a sad smile. "I understand," she says. "I think I just got carried away." She kisses him one last time before resuming her position on the stool.

Jughead breathes out a sigh of relief and steps forward to finish the job, still doing his best to control his thoughts after Betty's sudden advance.

"Hey, Jug?"

"Yeah?" he asks, guiding the clippers through her hair once again.

"It looks like you've got something in your pants there."

0o0o0o0

Fifteen minutes later, the deed is done, and Betty has no hair left. She already has the beanie securely on her head and is shopping for wigs online while Jughead cleans her hair up in the bathroom. The nurse has already come in and begun Betty's chemo treatment for the day, so for the next four hours, Betty is confined to her bed.

Once he disposes of the mass of blonde hair in the bathroom, Jughead walks back to Betty's side and looks at the wigs she is skimming over.

"Fourteen hundred dollars for a wig?!" Jughead exclaims, looking at the price of one Betty had clicked on.

"It's real human hair though," Betty points out. "My mom gave me a budget that she and my dad are willing to spend on one, and she told me not to feel bad about it."

"You could always use your black wig. It's one of my favorite looks of yours," Jughead tells her, giving her a suggestive sideways glance.

Betty smacks him playfully. "Jughead Jones, you are not allowed to bring up sex right after turning me down!"

"The nurse walked in five minutes later to start your chemo! Can you imagine how awkward that would have been?"

"It wouldn't have been my best moment," Betty agrees. She clicks on a long brunette wig.

"Brunette, eh?"

Betty shrugs. "I'm thinking about changing it up, but who knows. I don't have to decide right now." She closes her laptop and yawns.

"Tired?"

"Yeah, all of a sudden. The chemo always knocks me on my ass."

"Get some sleep. I'll probably doze off in the chair anyway. I'm still not at a hundred percent either."

"Come up here." Betty scoots over and pats the empty half of the bed. "There's plenty of room for the two of us."

"I think the nurses might kill me in my sleep," Jughead replies cautiously.

"Since when do you of all people care what other people think? Just get up here."

Jughead sighs. It _would_ feel really great to lay down; though he was mostly better, he still had a residual headache and some fatigue. He stands and settles himself into the half of the bed that Betty has cleared for him. He looks around to makes sure there are no IV lines that he can snag, but everything appears to be in the clear.

Betty sighs and nestles herself under Jughead's arm, resting her head on his chest.

"This is really nice," she murmurs.

"It is," Jughead agrees. He mindlessly strokes her back, and things feel at ease and peaceful for the first time in a while.

"I love you," Betty whispers groggily.

"I love you too, Betts."

Betty is asleep in an instant, leaving Jughead to enjoy the moment. He dozes in and out, feeling the movement of his girlfriend's breathing against his own chest. Though their situation is an impossible one, they're making the best of it, and he knew quiet times like these are the ones that will bring them closer once they get past this chapter in their lives.

Betty's nurse, Joanna walks in the room, and though Jughead would have normally vaulted out of the bed, he doesn't want to disturb Betty, and so he resorts to an apologetic smile. He realizes that this is probably very against the rules.

"You're fine," Joanna says quietly. She gives him a warm smile. "This happens all the time."

"Let me know if I'm in the way or anything."

"Nope, everything I need to look at is over here." She spends a few minutes watching the bag of chemotherapy drip into Betty's lines. "The doctor changed one of her chemo meds, and it's one that patients usually have a harder time tolerating, so I wouldn't be surprised if she wakes up a little nauseated. I gave her some prophylactic medication for it, so hopefully that will take care of things."

"Why did her doctor change her medication?" Jughead asks.

"They ran some bloodwork yesterday that had more white blood cells than Dr. Tuemler wanted, so she switched some medications around." When she saw the alarmed look on Jughead's face, she followed up with, "This is all very routine. The doctors just have to change around the meds until they find the right combination for the patient. They normally try to start with medications that patients tolerate well and work their way up from there."

Jughead nodded. "Thank you for everything. You guys have been amazing with her. I've heard nothing but good things, and her mother is pretty hard to please."

Joanna laughs softly. "Well, we do try our best, but she's a pretty great patient too."

The nurse leaves the room, and Jughead settles back against the pillow. Before long, his eyelids become heavy and he drifts off into a deep sleep.

Two hours later, he wakes abruptly with Betty throwing herself over the side of the bed. He is momentarily confused, but when he sees Betty vomiting into her basin, he puts two and two together immediately.

"Go ahead and get it out, Betts." He rubs her back as heaves rack her small form. Jughead continues doing so until his girlfriend's dry heaves subside and she sinks back into the bed, giving a low moan.

"You done?" he asks her, getting out of the bed to empty the basin.

"For now," she murmurs weakly. Her face is a pale gray in color, and had Joanna not warned Jughead that the new medication may be rough on Betty, he would have been more worried.

Jughead returns to the bed and kisses Betty's forehead.

"Do you feel any better?"

"Not really, no," she mumbles. "I'm so nauseous." She rolls over to face away from him, breathing in deeply.

Jughead sighs and wraps his arm around her waist, spooning her in the hospital bed. He hates how terribly she feels and does his best to remain as supportive as he can.

0o0o0o0

Over the next two-and-a-half weeks, Jughead gets into a rhythm. He goes to school, visits Betty in the evening and on the weekends, and repeats. Though actually returning to Riverdale High full-time is annoying to say the least, especially without Betty around, it is a necessary evil. The school days tick by slowly, as he is always counting down the seconds until he can see his love.

On a particularly warm, sunny almost-spring Friday, Jughead calls up to the floor to speak with Joanna.

"Hey, Joanna, how's she doing today?"

"She's having a great day today. Almost no nausea, and she's actually requested a snack."

Jughead smiles. This is good news. Betty's weight has plummeted over the past two weeks. Her body has not agreed with the chemo very well, but her preliminary bloodwork looks good to the doctors, so they have stayed the course for now. The nurses have done the best they can to combat the nausea and body aches, but there is only so much they can do. To hear Betty is having a good day is welcome news.

"That's awesome to hear. Hey, Joanna, I had an idea…."

Jughead runs some errands around down, picking up various items for his plan. He has been wanting to do this for quite some time, but it has never panned out because Betty has felt so terrible over the last couple weeks. He finishes his tasks and walks to the hospital with an added pep in his step.

He gets up to Betty's room with a large bouquet of flowers in hand; he has left the rest of his supplies in the nurse's station with Joanna for now.

"What's this?" Betty asks, eyeing the flowers in Jughead's hand and grinning. She has her new shoulder-length, wavy light brunette wig on, along with Jughead's beanie; she looks adorable. Alice, who is sitting at Betty's bedside, gives him a grin. He had also texted her with his idea earlier in the day.

"This is me asking you on a date." He hands her the flowers, which she graciously accepts.

"What kind of date?" Betty asks, her eyes lighting up. For once, they didn't have circles underneath them. Had it not been for their setting, and the amount of weight she had lost, he wouldn't have known she was sick.

"A picnic date, to be exact. The weather is perfect, and I happened to get permission from not one, but _both_ of your gatekeepers, both nurse and mother, to take you outside."

Betty's excitement is infectious. "I get to go outside?"

"If you want to," Alice tells her, unable to dampen her smile.

"Of course I want to!"

"I'm going to go down and get things set up while your mom helps you get dressed."

Jughead goes and gathers his supplies from the nurse's station, garnering smiles from all of the nurses. He quickly sets the blanket up on the front lawn with all of their food, and trots back up to Betty's room on the third floor. She is sitting in a wheel chair, donning a surgical mask and waiting for him to come collect her.

"This is the best, Juggie," she whispers through her mask as he bends down to kiss her head.

"You only deserve the best, Betts."

He wheels her down to the elevators, and they exit the building. The weather is perfect. It is an unseasonably warm seventy-five-degree day, and the sun is shining through a cloudless sky. Days like today make it impossible to be in a bad mood.

The couple comes upon the blanket he has set up, and he helps her from the wheelchair and onto the blanket.

"This is so perfect," Betty tells him. There are tears in her eyes.

"You deserve it, Betty. I know I would be miserable if I hadn't been outside in three weeks."

The pair basks in the sun for a while, waving to people they've come to know as they walk to or from the hospital. Before long, Jughead's stomach growls and Betty shoots him a knowing glance.

"Are you ready for our first course?"

"I think so!" Betty's eyebrows pinch together slightly, and Jughead imagines that she is frowning under the mask. "Juggie, you know my stomach can't handle much these days, so please don't be upset if I can't eat much of what you brought."

Jughead waves her off. "Nonsense," he tells her. "I have brought only chemo-approved foods, courtesy of Mr. Pop Tate."

"Oh?"

"Our first course is homemade chicken noodle soup with saltine crackers. And we only have one course because I didn't think you would be up for a second or a third."

Betty laughs. "You're onto something there. But what about you? I know you won't get full off of soup and crackers."

"There may or may not be a burger in the basket for me."

Betty laughs, and it is a sweet, musical sound. "I should have known better than to question your culinary preparedness."

Jughead simply grins and leans over to give Betty a chaste kiss on the cheek.

The couple has the best time during their picnic. They laugh like they haven't laughed in almost a month, and spend quality time together without nurses or parents checking in every half hour. Things feel almost normal, and that is something to be appreciated in times like these.

"Oh my God," Betty murmurs once she is done with her soup and crackers and places the mask back on her face. She looks behind Jughead over his shoulder, her green eyes wide. "Is that Cheryl and Toni?"

Jughead turns around to see Toni and Cheryl walking up to them, hand-in-hand. He smiles; he had accidentally walked in on the two of them making out a week before, but he had promised to keep his mouth closed until they were ready to go public.

"We were coming to visit Betty in her prison, but it looks like you've busted out," Toni says, sitting down on the blanket next to Jughead. Cheryl settles in next to her and Toni wraps an arm around her shoulders. She looks a little uneasy at first, but as soon as she sees a smile from Jughead and Betty's eyes glowing over her mask, she seems to relax.

"So, what is this?" Betty exclaims, gesturing between the two.

"Though I would normally say nosiness is not becoming, Betty, but we're still figuring everything out ourselves," Cheryl replies, giving Toni a smile.

"Yeah, we're just going with the flow," Toni shrugs. Jughead notices that Toni is emitting glow that does not normally surround her punk exterior.

"Well, I think it's awesome." Betty's eyes are alight over the top of her mask, and it warms Jughead's heart to see his girlfriend this happy.

Before long, Archie and Veronica join them, and it feels like a normal afternoon hanging out with friends. The weather stays perfect, and the longer daylight hours bring added time to their hangout session. Before long, Cheryl and Toni take their leave, and it leaves the core four sitting on the blanket out front of the hospital.

"This was an awesome idea, Jug," Archie tells him.

"A very romantic gesture indeed," Veronica agrees. She leans onto Archie's shoulder and sighs blissfully. "Also, Betty, that wig is perfect for you. Consider going brunette once your hair grows back in. It really suits you."

"Thanks, V," Betty replies. She settles against Jughead's chest and mirrors Veronica's contented sigh. "I'm thinking about an undercut once it starts growing out, too." She winks up at Jughead.

"Very edgy, very 'I kicked cancer's ass so I can kick yours too' chic," Veronica nods. "I can get behind that."

The rest of the afternoon, the group of friends relaxed on the picnic blanket and talked like old times. They caught Betty up on all of the happenings at school, and talked about the future, and that hopefully in a couple short weeks, Betty would be back at school with them, at least part-time.

As soon as the sun begins to set, Betty gives a slight shiver. The temperature has been dropping steadily, and Jughead decides it's time to go inside before she catches a chill.

"We'll clean up, you guys go ahead inside," Archie tells them.

"You sure, Arch? I can come back down once I get her upstairs."

"Go, seriously. We'll see you guys tomorrow."

After hugging their friends goodbye, Jughead settles Betty back into her wheelchair and returns her to her room. He helps her get in bed, and sits next to her.

"I can handle tonight, Mrs. Cooper, if you want to head home and get some sleep."

"Are you sure, Jughead?" Alice asks. She looks exhausted.

"Positive. Get some rest."

Alice says her goodbyes and heads home to get some well-deserved rest.

"Today was absolutely magical, Juggie," Betty whispers to him. She is finally able to remove her mask and puts it on her bedside table.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." He lays down next to her in the bed, the two teenagers facing one another. He strokes the side of her face with his index finger and leans forward to kiss her. "I wish I could do stuff like this for you more often."

"Well, I'm almost past the worst part of treatment, so hopefully we won't be restricted to the hospital much longer, so maybe we can."

"That sounds pretty perfect to me then." He turns onto his back and Betty cuddles into his side, her head on his chest.

"Listening to your heartbeat is my favorite way to fall asleep," Betty murmurs.

"Get some rest then." Jughead leans down and kisses the top of her head. It is still early, but he imagines the trip outside probably wore his girlfriend out.

"I love you, Juggie. Thanks again. Today was the best day I've had since my diagnosis."

Jughead smiles. "I love you too, Betts. Anytime."

 _Author's Note: I tried for a lighter, fluffier chapter today. Hope you all enjoyed :-) reviews make me smile ;)_


	10. Chapter 10

"So, how's it going, Mr. Jones?"

Jughead shifts in his seat, running his hand through his hair unconsciously. At this point, he is accustomed to not wearing his beanie, but in vulnerable times such as these, he really misses it. Discussing his emotions with someone outside of his miniscule inner circle is uncomfortable, and no matter how many weekly visits Principal Weatherbee requires him to complete with Mrs. Tucker, he does not become any more comfortable with her.

"It's good, I guess."

"Remember what we said about closed sentences, Jughead. I need you to elaborate on what you tell me so I can pinpoint exactly how to help you through this difficult time."

He sighs. "Things are good. Betty is hopefully coming home from the hospital today, and will come back to school part-time in the next couple weeks." He pauses, before adding, "So, I think that will put an end to our little soirées."

Mrs. Tucker smiles, but it doesn't _quite_ reach her eyes. "Our meetings will continue until either myself or Principal Weatherbee think you are coping well with the situation at hand."

"The situation at hand?" Jughead asks sardonically. "With all due respect, Mrs. Tucker, I feel like I'm _coping_ just fine. I've been nothing but supportive and positive for my girlfriend, my grades have stayed the same despite missing more school than usual, and my dad and I have been getting along better than literally ever. So, I don't quite know what you mean when you say you and Principal Weatherbee don't think I'm _coping_ well. No offense, but neither of you know me, and our dear principal has never exactly gone out of his way to make my life easier."

The counselor frowns. "Jughead, I don't want you to think of myself or Principal Weatherbee as your enemies. Your teachers and classmates have reported to us that you seem withdrawn, and you appear to be exhausted. We want what's in your best interest, that's all."

"What's in my best interest is being with Betty as she finds out whether or not she gets to go home, which is happening as we speak. I don't know why my classmates or teachers are calling me withdrawn; obviously they didn't pay much attention to how I acted before Betty got sick, because I'm not any different." Jughead pauses to take a breath; he has always found these meetings irritating, but today's appointment has quickly escalated to infuriating. "And _yeah_ , I'm exhausted. I won't disagree with anyone there. I spend three or four nights a week in a hospital, crammed into a twin bed with my girlfriend that has _cancer_. Nurses come in every two hours to check on her and make sure she isn't _dying_. And those are the _good_ nights; when I'm at home, I can't sleep because I'm worried sick about her. So, you've got me there, Mrs. Tucker. I am exhausted. But I don't think anyone can tell me I'm not coping well with this situation. I've not had a perfect life, nor have I reacted well to all of the bullshit that has come my way over the years, but I have been rock solid for Betty, and I actively go out of my way to remain positive and supportive for her, and in doing so, I force myself to stay positive. And again, with _all due respect_ , my teachers and peers don't know me, so whenever anyone tells you I'm not _coping well_ , maybe you should ask me first."

Jughead stands, grabbing his backpack. "I think this meeting is over, and no offense to you, because I'm sure you're great at your job, this is our last one. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to help my girl come home after a month of chemotherapy." He walks out of the room, leaving a shocked guidance counselor in his wake.

0o0o0o0

Jughead walks into the hospital and takes the steps two at a time to the third floor. He runs into several of Betty's nurses along the hallway to her room. All of them express their hope that Betty's bloodwork comes back normal enough for her to move back home. The nurses at the hospital have definitely been a highlight of their experience at Riverdale General; no matter what Betty needed, they jumped on it, and always made them feel like a priority. Though he would not miss the sleepless nights spent in the hospital, he would miss them. Jughead was already planning on writing a piece about them for the Blue and Gold, and potentially the Register, once everything calmed down a bit.

He turns the corner into Betty's room and sees her sitting up in her bed, dressed in normal clothes. Per usual, her wig is on and held in place by his beanie, and any feelings of nostalgia for his hat disappeared. Betty looked great; her last chemo treatment had been six days ago; the doctors and nurses wanted to ensure her body took to the last dose well and that she felt better as she potentially headed home.

"Hey!" Betty tells him, her green eyes glowing. This is the most radiant he's seen her since their picnic two weeks before.

"Hey there." He sits on the edge of the bed and gives her a lingering kiss. "You look stunning today."

Betty gives him a shy, anxious smile. "You always say that. I thought you had a counseling session after school today. I didn't expect to see you this early."

"Let's just say I excused myself from the meeting a little early, and I don't think there are going to be any more in the future." He wraps his arm around Betty's shoulders, internally wincing at how her shoulder blades jutted from her back. She had certainly dropped more weight than she before, and that was saying something at this point.

Before Betty could question his early departure from therapy, Dr. Tuemler, Betty's oncologist, walks into the room. Her blonde hair is pulled into a loose ponytail and is she dressed in navy scrubs.

"Hey, Betty, Jughead," she greets them. "How are you?" Her face gives nothing away, and though Jughead told himself that things would be fine whether Betty had to stay or got to leave, his heart begins pounding rapidly in his chest.

"Very hopeful that my bloodwork is good enough to go home," Betty responds. She looks nervous and Jughead gently pulls her nails from her palms.

Dr. Tuemler opens her chart and reads over the lab values. "Well, Betty, I won't beat around the bush here. Your lab values look great, and it appears as though you're in remission."

Jughead blows out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. This is amazing news. The oncologist had told them that most patients are in remission after the first phase of treatment, but that several years of prophylactic treatment remain afterward to prevent relapse.

"This means that I can go home?" Betty asks excitedly. Her grin is infectious.

"It sure does. But there are some guidelines we have to go over first. It's important that you take it easy. You have absolutely no immune system right now, so you have to make sure that everyone in your house is practicing proper hygiene, and when you leave the house, you need to wear a mask at all times. Something as simple as a sinus infection could become a huge issue for you right now."

Betty nodded in understanding. "I promise to take it easy, but I _really_ want to go back to school." She saw the doctor begin to interject, and added, "I can just go back part-time if necessary. But this is really important to me, Dr. Tuemler. I want to be normal again."

The oncologist sighs and gives Jughead a small smile. "She's a stubborn one, isn't she?"

He grins. "You have no idea."

Dr. Tuemler turns back to Betty. "I will sign off on you going back to school _part-time_. That means two, _maybe_ three days a week. You'll be back here on Mondays for chemo anyway so you probably won't feel good enough again until Wednesday or Thursday. But Betty, you have to understand, you're going to be exhausted. Your body will take time to recover from all of the medicine we pumped into you over the past month. If you wake up and you're too tired or don't feel well enough to go to school, just stay home. And you have to wear a mask; schools are basically Petri dishes. You have to promise me those things, and I'll let you go back to school."

"I promise," Betty returns seriously.

0o0o0o0

Two hours later, Jughead and Hal carry Betty's bags over the threshold of the Cooper house. The discharge process had gone smoothly, and after twenty-nine days of intensive chemotherapy, Betty is home.

"Betty, what can I get for you?" Alice asks, walking to the kitchen. "They said to keep your diet pretty bland for the first few days back home, so I have toast, rice, ginger ale, whatever you need."

"I'm okay right now, thanks Mom." Betty walks around the house slowly, as if taking in new surroundings for the first time. She sighs. "It's really good to be home."

Jughead takes Betty's bags up to her room and places them on the floor. It is evident Alice has been through the room cleaning surfaces in order to disinfect the house as much as possible. Sighing, he lays on Betty's bed for a moment and closes his eyes. The past month has been a complete and utter whirlwind; there were certainly highs and lows, but the worst part was over. Barring any unforeseen complications, Betty's time in the hospital is finished, and she could complete the rest of her treatment in an outpatient setting.

"Jug?"

Jughead jerks awake, sitting up quickly. Betty is standing at the end of her bed. He had not intended on falling asleep, but his girlfriend's bed is much more comfortable than the couch at the trailer or the hospital bed.

"Sorry," he mumbles. He rubs his face blearily. "Must've dozed off."

Betty smiles and sits next to him on the bed, placing her hand on his knee. "You deserve the rest. You've been a trooper this last month."

"I'm pretty certain you're the one battling a deadly disease, Betts."

"But you could have walked away from all this madness and you didn't. I had to deal with this either way; you actually had a choice."

"No, I didn't," Jughead laughs. "I'm never walking away from you, Betty. I learned that lesson the hard way. It's not going to happen again."

He leans in to kiss her, and Betty leans into him. He meant for the kiss to be light and sweet, but his girlfriend immediately deepens it, sliding her tongue into his mouth. All of Jughead's blood rushes downward, and he immediately knows he has to put a stop to things before they get too heated.

"Betty, your parents-" he murmurs against her lips.

"Went out to Pop's for dinner," she interrupts breathily. She slips her hands underneath his shirt, running her nails down his abdomen.

Jughead groans. "Betty, I don't know about this," he whispers. "I don't want to hurt you."

"I knew you would say that." Betty swings her leg over Jughead and straddles him. She pushes him downward on the bed and kisses her way up his neck and jawline. "Which is why I asked Dr. Tuemler if it's okay, and she said yes."

"Your doctor said it was okay?" Jughead is skeptical. Though he wants literally _nothing_ more than to do this, seeing how frail Betty looks holds him back from fully committing.

"She said as long as I feel up to it, it's fine," Betty whispered into his ear. "I really want you, Juggie."

Jughead groans again. He sits up and stands, Betty's legs wrapped around his waist. He gently places her underneath him on the bed and unbuttons the front of her shirt slowly. Ignoring the sharp lines of her ribs straining against her skin, he kisses down her torso to her the waistband of her pants, which he easily pulls from her body.

Betty is a sight to behold. Sure, he had seen her without anything on a few times in the hospital while helping clean her up, but this is an entirely different context. She has ignited a thirst within him that had been dormant for a month, and he couldn't wait to quench it.

"You're sure you're feeling up to this?"

"Jughead Jones, if you don't stop asking me that and hurry up-"

He doesn't allow her to finish her sentence.

0o0o0o0

Jughead rolls over when he hears the door open and close downstairs, signifying Alice and Hal's return. Luckily, he and Betty had both redressed after their earlier endeavors, but he didn't want the fact that they were both in bed at 7:45 PM to be suspicious. Betty had fallen asleep immediately after redressing, exhausted from their romp in the sheets. Jughead, however, stayed awake, knowing that the Cooper parents would be home relatively soon.

He walks downstairs to greet them and is thrilled to find that they've brought him a burger. His mouth waters in appreciation.

"Thank you so much," he tells them as his stomach gives a resounding growl. He opens the wrapper and digs in.

"Of course," Hal returns. "It's the least we can do for all of your support over the past month."

Jughead shakes his head, implying that it is nothing, but Alice cuts in.

"Jughead, I know Hal and I haven't always been incredibly receptive to you being involved with Betty, but the last month you've really shown us how incredible you are. We're sorry for the times where we've made your life more difficult than it needs to be." She pauses, before adding, "And we're so thankful for everything you've done for Betty, as well as us, since she was diagnosed."

Jughead chews slowly, unsure of how to respond. Though he appreciates the sentiment, Alice Cooper being nice to him is relatively disconcerting.

"I love her," he says simply. "I would do anything for her."

Alice looks away from him, blinking back tears. It makes Jughead more uncomfortable than he already was, so he focuses on his burger intently.

"We were thinking of throwing Betty a little party tomorrow night to welcome her home," Hal continues while Alice recovers. "What do you think?"

Jughead groans internally. In that moment, he finds himself so exhausted that the thought of any socialization outside of the Coopers to be horrendous, but he pushes past his initial reaction and thinks of Betty. She would probably enjoy being able to hang out with friends.

"I think she would like that," he replies. "Maybe not a ton of people so she's not too overwhelmed, but at least Archie, Veronica, Kevin, Cheryl, and Toni."

Alice nods. "That's a good idea. I'll start phoning around now."

Jughead stifles a yawn. "I can help," he offers.

"No, no, you've done enough for a while, Jughead. You look absolutely exhausted. Go get some rest," Alice tells him, waving toward the second floor of the house.

"It's still okay if I stay with Betty?" he asks hesitantly.

"Of course. It makes us comfortable knowing you're in there in case anything goes wrong."

Jughead nods. "Thanks for the burger, Mr. and Mrs. Cooper. I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, he climbs the stairs to Betty's room. He strips off his shirt and pants and gently crawls over her onto his side of the bed.

"Hi," Betty whispers groggily. She scoots over and places her head on his chest, and he wraps his arms around her protectively. In that moment, Jughead could not have been more content.

"Hey there," Jughead murmurs. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"My back is starting to hurt a little. It woke me up."

This issue has not been uncommon during Betty's treatment. Chemotherapy can be known to cause bone pain in many patients, and other than the nausea and vomiting, this was the most problematic side effect Betty had experienced during her treatment so far.

"Do you think that's from us having sex?" Jughead asks worriedly. He kicks himself for giving into his urges earlier.

Betty shakes her head. At this point she has removed her wig, but as always, the beanie remains a constant fixture.

"No," she breathes. "Sometimes it just starts for no reason. I'm sure it'll be better tomorrow."

"Want me to give you a back rub?"

Betty hesitates, and Jughead is sure she in fact _does_ want a backrub, but feels as though it would be too high maintenance for her to say yes.

"Sit up, I'm giving you a backrub," Jughead tells her.

Smiling into the darkness, Betty complies, sitting cross-legged on the bed in front of Jughead, who stretches his legs out on either side of her. He reaches over and turns on the bedside lamp so he can see better.

Slowly and methodically, he works his way down Betty's back, starting with her shoulders. He feels for any knots and gently massages them along the sides of her spine, taking his time in order to guarantee her relaxation.

She groans and leans into him more, clearly enjoying the experience. Jughead leans forward and kisses the bare skin of her neck above the collar of her t-shirt. Her skin is soft and warm beneath his lips, and he experiences an overwhelming surge of emotion and love for the woman in front of him.

"I love you, Betty Cooper," he murmurs into her ear.

Betty turns around and moves herself to a sitting position in his lap. Her eyes are full of tears, her lips pouting slightly.

"What's wrong?" Maybe it was due to his extreme level of exhaustion, but the thought of Betty in tears was absolutely gutting.

"I just love you so much, and I'm so thankful for everything you've done for me over the past four weeks," Betty whimpers. She blinks and a tear runs down each cheek.

Jughead sighs and leans forward, kissing away the tears. "Betty, everyone keeps telling me how thankful they are for what I've done, but I don't feel like I've done anything. Were the roles reversed, you would have been by my side every step of the way, just like I was. I _wanted_ to be with you; having to go to school was terrible for me. So please don't thank me, because I just wanted to spend every second of every day with my girl."

Betty gives a muffled sob and leans forward, her lips gently connecting with Jughead's. He returns her sweet gesture, tightening his arms around her waist. Together, they sink into the sheets and remain entwined until they fall asleep.

0o0o0o0

Early the next morning, Jughead senses something is off before he even opens his eyes. He reaches over to Betty's side of the bed to feel for her, but when his hand hits sheets instead of a body, he turns his head and opens his eyes. There, facing away from him, curled up in the fetal position on the very edge of the bed, is Betty. Her body is shaking like a leaf, and it is then that Jughead realizes the vibration of her shivers is what woke him.

"Hey, Betts," he croaks groggily. "Are you okay?"

Betty shakes her head but says nothing. Jughead scoots across the mattress and places his hand on her shoulder, but Betty jerks away from the contact.

"Don't!" she hisses. Her voice is nasally and Jughead can tell she's been crying. It's then that he realizes she's in pain.

"Is it your back?" he asks gently.

Betty remains still, save for nodding her head. "It hurts so bad," she whispers.

"I'll go downstairs and get you your pain medicine. Why didn't you wake me up and ask for it?"

"Because you're just as tired as I am."

If she hadn't been feeling terrible, Jughead would have told her she was being ridiculous. But instead, he jumps out of bed and trots down the stairs to get Betty's bottle of pain killers. The entire time she was in the hospital, Betty had fought taking them tooth and nail, which told Jughead that she must be pretty desperate to not reject them now.

"You're up early, Jughead. I didn't expect to see you or Betty until at least noon."

Jughead freezes in his tracks. He hadn't seen Alice sitting at the kitchen table. In fact, he hadn't expected either component of the Cooper parenting unit to be awake yet. If he had, he would have at least put on a shirt and pants.

He grabs the bottle of pills from the counter. "Betty's back is really bothering her. I'm just grabbing her medicine for her."

Alice nods. "I called around to the people you listed last night, they'll be here around five this evening. Veronica may come earlier to help set up. Why don't you give your dad a call too? I think some of the parents will be in attendance as well."

Jughead hesitates. "As of right now, I don't know if Betty's going to be up for any visitors today. She's in a lot of pain."

"Nonsense, she'll be fine by five. Just have her take the medicine. It'll be good for her to socialize a little."

Realizing he has no intention of arguing with Alice Cooper before 7 AM, Jughead nods in defeat. "Okay, I'll text him." He turns to walk back up the stairs.

"And Jughead?"

"Yes, Mrs. Cooper?"

"If you're going to come downstairs, please have the decency to put some clothes on."

Rolling his eyes, Jughead leaves the kitchen. As strange as he found the friendly Alice Cooper last night, he already misses her. He hurries up the stairs and finds Betty exactly as he had left her.

"Here you go," he tells her, sitting next to her. He hands her a pill and a glass of water.

Grimacing, Betty sits up. "Thank you," she whimpers.

"Of course." Jughead gently skims his fingertips up and down her back as she takes the medication.

"I hate taking this medicine," she tells him weakly. "It makes me so nauseous."

Jughead grabs the trashcan by Betty's desk and moves it to the side of her bed. "Well, if you start feeling sick, at least you're prepared."

"Thanks, Juggie."

Jughead watches her lay back down, moaning as her body revolts to the movement. His chest constricts seeing her in this much pain. He crawls to his side of the bed and lies down next to Betty. Her eyes are closed, and the pinched skin between her eyebrows tells him everything he needs to know.

"Let me know if you need anything else," he tells her gently, leaning over to kiss her cheek.

"Just lay with me. That's all I need right now."

"That I can do."

0o0o0o0

Betty and Jughead sleep until noon. By that point, sunshine is streaming through Betty's bedroom window, and for the first time in a long time, Jughead feels well rested. He stretches and rolls over to spoon his girlfriend, who is playing on her phone.

"Good morning," he murmurs against the back of her neck. "How are you feeling?"

"Nauseous," Betty returns, rolling over to face Jughead. She smiles at him. "But nothing too terrible."

"Good. Because your mother is insisting on having a welcome home party for you tonight."

Betty sighs and rolls her eyes. "I'm not surprised. Everything has to appear perfect again for the Coopers now that I'm not in the hospital anymore."

"If you're not feeling up to it, we can just tell her to reschedule it, Betty."

Betty sits up and sighs again, rubbing her face. "No, it'll be good to see people, and maybe once I get up and moving I won't feel so queasy."

This did not prove true. The moment Betty and Jughead walked downstairs, the smell of Alice cooking on the stovetop sent Betty into the bathroom to throw up. Jughead darts into the restroom behind her and holds the soft brunette strands of her wig as she dry heaves into the toilet.

"Get it out, Betts," he murmurs as he strokes her back with his spare hand.

Betty rests her face in her hands for a moment while she recovers. Jughead sinks to the floor behind her, flushing the toilet and closing the lid.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," Betty whispers. "Just having an off day today."

"I'll tell your mom you aren't feeling up to guests if you need more time to acclimate and feel better," Jughead tells her quietly.

And at that moment, Alice Cooper walks by the open door to the bathroom. "Pull yourself together, Elizabeth! We are having company later to celebrate your homecoming. You don't want the guests to feel uncomfortable!"

"No, Mom, we wouldn't want that," Betty returns, shakily getting to her feet.

0o0o0o0

The rest of the afternoon is much of the same. Betty would vomit, feel better for a bit, and vomit again. She insists to Jughead that it is the fault of the painkiller she took that morning, but Jughead suspects it is still the residual effects of the chemotherapy treatment as well.

Around four, Veronica arrives to help Alice set up for the get together. She runs into Betty's room as Betty is napping and Jughead is reading in the bed next to her, startling them both.

"Well aren't you two the picture of domestic bliss?" she grins upon barging into the room.

"Hey, V," Betty smiles, slowly and painfully getting out of bed. Her pain medication had worn off at that point but she refused to take any more due to her earlier stomach issues.

"You know I think you're beautiful no matter what," Veronica tells Betty, placing her hands on either of Betty's shoulders, "but you don't look up to a party today, B."

"I'm fine," Betty smiles weakly.

"I tried to insinuate that to her mother earlier and it didn't fly," Jughead tells Veronica. He puts his book down and stretches.

"I see," Veronica nods. Her dark eyebrows are knit together in concern. "Well, let's make the best of it, but if you need a break at any point, just let me know and Jughead and I will cover for you. Now, let's find the perfect outfit that screams 'I'm kicking cancer's ass!'"

It takes longer than expected to find the outfit. All of Betty's clothes hung off of her frail frame, and none of her pants or skirts would stay up.

"How much weight have you lost, Betty?" Veronica asks, throwing another pair of jeans in the corner of the room designated for baggy clothing.

"Thirty pounds or so," Betty mutters. Jughead's stomach lurches. He knew she had lost a lot of weight over the past month, but _thirty pounds_? It made his stomach hurt just thinking about it.

"Do you have any clothes from when you were younger…?" Veronica asks. Jughead can see that she is shaken by Betty's answer to her question as well.

"I think I have a couple pairs of jeans in here somewhere," Betty replies, digging through to the bottom of one of her drawers. "Aha! These should work." She pulls them on and they fit snugly. Betty grins at Veronica and Jughead. "See, guys? Persistence pays off."

An hour and a half later, Betty's homecoming party is in full swing. Alice had taken Jughead's list of people quite liberally, and it felt as though half of Riverdale is crammed into the Cooper household. Jughead is in his own personal hell, but he does his best to remain unfazed when people pull him aside and commend his dedication. Betty appears to be enjoying herself, despite not feeling well. She talks animatedly with everyone that approaches her and genuinely seems happy for socialization outside of a hospital visit context.

As it sometimes does during group engagements, Jughead's chest begins to constrict after a while, his social anxiety taking a hold over him, so he quietly excuses himself into the backyard for some fresh air. The cool evening atmosphere is a welcome shock to his system, and he already feels his heartrate returning to normal. He sits on the edge of the deck and enjoys the silence of his surroundings.

"Needed to escape for a bit?" comes a voice from behind him.

Jughead jumps and turns around to see Fred Andrews approaching him. He sighs in relief; Fred is one of the few people he is fine with talking to at the moment.

"Something like that," he returns. He hunches his shoulders and stares at the grass below his dangling feet.

Fred sits next to him and claps him on the shoulder. "I haven't seen you in a while. How're you holding up?"

He shrugs. "As best I can, I suppose."

"You're a good guy, Jug. A lot of people your age would have run from a situation like this; my son included."

Archie had been markedly scarce through Betty's stint in the hospital. According to Veronica, he had a lot going on with school, but Jughead sensed that seeing Betty in the hospital made Archie uncomfortable. Something that had become obvious to Jughead over the last month was that teens often shy away from situations that bring the narrow ledge of mortality to light. They prefer to feel invincible and remain ignorant to circumstances that indicate otherwise.

Jughead shrugs again. "Everyone keeps telling me what a good person I am for being supportive, but I don't get it. I wouldn't have had it any other way, and Betty would do the same for me."

"That's how you know you're with the right person then, Jug," Fred tells him. He pauses before adding, "Don't let her go, she's a good one."

"What's going on out here?" comes another voice from behind Fred and Jughead. They turn around to see FP approaching them.

"Hey, Dad."

FP sits on Jughead's other side, sandwiching him between Fred and his father. The two men nod to one another and shake hands in front of Jughead.

"You good, Son?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Just taking a quick break from the festivities."

"Alice Cooper driving you up the wall yet?" FP asks, a knowing glint in his eye.

Jughead sighs and shakes his head. "I cannot figure that woman out for the life of me."

Fred and FP burst into laughter, and soon Jughead joins in too. The feeling is almost alien, but it is _so_ necessary. The teen can't remember the last time he laughed like this, and it is a welcome release.

"One minute, she's thanking me for everything I've done for them. The next, she's forcing a party on Betty when I told her I didn't think she was up for it."

"I thought Betty seemed a little off," Fred remarks quietly, while FP snickers.

"That one can be piece of work, boy. I don't envy you staying under her roof right now with everything they've got going on."

"It's not been too bad. She lets me stay with Betty and pretty much lets me do as I please. Except coming downstairs in my boxers. That didn't go over too well," he adds, grinning.

The grown men laughed again, and their conversation led onwards late into the night, long past the time when the last guests inside left. Before long, Alice and Hal joined the adults outside on the deck and Jughead excused himself inside to check on Betty. He found Archie and Veronica on the couch talking and Betty was curled up on the other couch fast asleep.

"Hey man, where've you been?" Archie asks. His arm is wrapped around Veronica's shoulders and she leans into him sleepily. It is only 11 PM, but everyone feels the residual effects of the last month wearing upon them.

Jughead sits down next to his girlfriend's sleeping form and gently strokes her leg. She wakes up halfway and smiles sleepily, shifting positions to where her head is in his lap.

"Out back talking with my dad and your dad," Jughead replies, gently stroking Betty's hair. He smiles when he realizes that she's kept his beanie on for the duration of the party. "I needed a break from the revelry."

"I understand," Archie says. He absently strokes Veronica's hair. "You haven't had it easy the last month."

"To be fair, I don't think any of us have," Jughead replies, glancing down at his sleeping beauty. Even though her face is pale, she is undeniably beautiful.

The friends talk for a while, but before long, Jughead's eyelids become heavy, and he knows it's time for him to get Betty to bed. Veronica has since fallen asleep on Archie's shoulder, and his ginger best friend has dark circles under his eyes.

"I'm exhausted. I think I'm going to get her to bed," Jughead says, looking down at Betty again. She seems so peaceful; he regrets having to move her.

"Before you do, Jug, I just wanted to apologize for being MIA over the last few weeks," Archie says. He runs a hand through his shock of red hair. "I've been having a hard time dealing with this situation and I shouldn't have abandoned you guys, but I didn't know how else to handle things. I'm really sorry. I promise to be your go-to guy from here on out."

"It's okay, Arch," Jughead tells his friend, giving him a small smile. "A lot of days she wasn't feeling up to visitors anyway. Plus, you came tonight. As long as you keep visiting and help her re-acclimate to school I'm sure everything will be fine."

"Thanks for understanding," Archie says, giving Jughead a small smile.

"Of course."

After Archie and Veronica head next door, Jughead scoops Betty into his arms and carries her up the stairs, gently placing her in the bed. Their first day returning to normalcy has been mostly successful, despite a rough start. Jughead brushes his teeth and crawls into bed next to Betty, who remained asleep during the move from the living room to the bedroom.

He can still hear the adults talking and laughing on the deck out back, and he is glad that Hal and Alice are having fun. Jughead knows he was a scrooge about the party at first, but it is in that moment that he realizes that Alice probably needed a break from everything as well.

Jughead turns over, facing Betty as he watches her breath slowly. The circumstances they find themselves in are borderline impossible, but it truly makes him appreciate peaceful moments such as these, watching her sleep as moonlight streams across her face.

 _Author's Note: Phew! I did NOT plan on this chapter being 6,000 words, and yet, here we are! Per usual, thank you all so much for your kind words on the last chapter. I hope you enjoyed this one too. :) Let me know what you think!_


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:** I am SO SORRY this took so long to update! School has been absolutely crazy recently (in the middle of finals now), and I've spent the little free time that I actually have napping because I'm so tired all of the time. I promise to keep the updates more regular from here on out. Enjoy!

The rest of Betty's first weekend at home passes without anything out of the ordinary, which in the world of cancer, is a very good thing. Betty spends most of the day Sunday in bed, exhausted from the get together the night before. Short of a walk around the block to stretch his legs in the early afternoon, Jughead remains by her side, working on both schoolwork and his novel.

Monday morning, Jughead wakes to a very excited Betty shaking him. It's still dark outside, and the teenager groans, covering his face with the crook of his elbow.

"Betts, what time is it?"

"Six," Betty announces. If it had been a reasonable hour, Jughead would have smiled at the lilt in her voice, but alas, it is not. "School starts in two hours!"

"And?"

"It's time to get up!"

"Betty, I'm a dude. It takes me three minutes to get ready in the mornings."

"I know, but I want to get there early to talk to the teachers about everything I missed. I was hoping you would walk me to school?"

Jughead cracks an eye open, and one look at the grinning, hopeful face of his girlfriend melts the ice surrounding his heart. He sighs; if he had known he would be shorted an hour of sleep, he would have gone to bed earlier the night before.

"Alright, alright," he says gruffly. He rolls out of bed and grabs his towel from its hook on the back of Betty's bedroom door.

Thirty minutes later, Jughead and Betty are on their trek to Riverdale High. Betty is wearing a surgical mask, her brunette wig, and Jughead's beanie, along with her typical sweater and jeans. There is a bounce in her step as they walk down the sidewalk, and Betty's hand reaches over and grasps his.

"I'm a little nervous," she tells him, looking up.

Jughead releases her hand and wraps his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. He kisses the top of his beanie as they continue their walk. "Don't be. It's just another day at school."

"I know," Betty sighs, "but I'm sure I'm much more behind in school than my teachers are letting on, and repeating a grade and being behind all of my friends is not on my agenda."

"That's not gonna happen, Betts."

The couple walks in silence for a few more blocks before Jughead begins to notice Betty struggling to keep up with him. Her breathing is labored beneath the mask, and her face has lost what little color it had to begin with.

Jughead stops and looks down at his girlfriend, concerned. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Betty pants. She leans down, placing her hands on her knees. The brunette waves of her wig fall around her face. "This is the farthest I've walked in I don't know how long. I'm just out of shape."

The doctors had warned Betty that she would have decreased oxygen-carrying capacity due to her chemotherapy treatments, and that simple tasks like cleaning and doing housework would likely exhaust her. However, when Alice had offered the two of them a ride to school this morning before heading to the Register, Betty had waved her off, saying she wanted everything to be back to normal.

Jughead rubs Betty's back. He can see Riverdale High only three blocks away, so the remaining walk is attainable, she will just need a quick breather.

"I'm sorry, Juggie," Betty says between breaths.

"Don't be ridiculous, Betts. Take your time. We're early, remember?"

The remaining walk is a struggle, Betty rests twice more, and when they finally reach the school, she sits down on the stairs to regain her composure. She briefly pulls her mask down so she can get air more easily.

"So, for the time being, we should probably ride with your mom," Jughead suggests warily. Betty has been particularly stubborn about needing any additional help with her integration back to normalcy. They had not had any blow-out _fights_ per say, but Betty had refused to listen if anyone suggested she took things easy at first.

"That might be a good idea," she replies. She takes a few more minutes to regain her breath before Jughead helps her stand and they enter the school.

The morning is a busy one. Betty insists on meeting with all of her teachers before the school day begins. Every teacher is thrilled to see her, and Jughead waits patiently as she asks what she is behind in, and what is due for the week. The teachers tell her that she has done a fabulous job keeping up with her work, and that they don't foresee any issues with her continuing on to her junior year.

Walking down the stairs to math class together, Betty seems satisfied with the information the teachers had given her.

"What, did you think I was lying to you?" Jughead asks her, clasping her hand in his as they walk slowly down the stairs. He can already see bags forming under Betty's eyes and he suppresses his urge to ask her if she's feeling okay.

"No, but it's just nice to hear that I'm caught up first-hand," Betty responds, winded.

"Let's get you to class, Betts," Jughead murmurs. When Betty had told him that she would be returning to school today, he had his doubts, but now that he sees her struggling before the day has even begun, his anxiety begins to surface.

At this point, the bell rings, and their fellow Riverdale High students begin spilling in through the doors. Betty is immediately swarmed by their peers that wish to welcome her back, and Jughead remains steadfast by her side. Each person that hugs her makes him increasingly uncomfortable. Not, of course, from a jealousy standpoint, but from a cleanliness and hygiene standpoint. Dr. Tuemler's words of caution regarding his girlfriend's compromised immune system have haunted him to the point of showering three or four times a day, and he is certain that their peers have not been taking the same precautions.

After several minutes of hellos in the hallway, he leans over and murmurs that they need to get to class in Betty's ear. She smiles up at him and nods, breaking away from the crowd and following him to math class.

Once in the room, Betty is assaulted by a shrieking Veronica Lodge with Archie hot on her tail.

"Relax, V, I just saw you on Saturday," Betty laughs, returning her friend's enthusiastic hug.

"Don't take away from this iconic moment, Cooper," Veronica says into the soft waves of Betty's wig.

Jughead smiles and accepts a hug from Archie.

"How's it feel to have her back at school?" Archie asks him, smiling at his girlfriend and Betty.

"It's good," Jughead says cautiously. He turns away from the girls' embrace. "I'm a little concerned she came back too soon, but telling her to take it easy didn't go particularly well."

Archie nods, understanding. "Somehow that doesn't surprise me," he responds quietly.

"And what, pray tell, are our handsome men conspiring about?" comes Veronica's voice from behind them.

0o0o0o0

After the first class of the day is complete, Jughead recognizes all of Betty's telltale signs that she is exhausted. During math class, he watches her slowly but surely slouch down in her seat, resting her head in her hands. And then, by the end of second period, her eyes are half shut during lecture. The teens do not have their third class of the day together, and Jughead is reluctant to part ways with her, especially after watching her fade through the first two classes.

"You sure you're okay, Betts?" he asks her, rubbing her shoulders. "You're starting to look a little tired."

"I'm fine, Juggie," she insists. Her face is slowly losing color as the day progresses, but he doesn't dare tell her that. "I'll see you at lunch."

"Sounds good," Jughead tells her. He leans down and kisses her forehead. "I love you. Text me if you need anything."

Jughead does nothing but worry during his third period history class. He realizes this is going to be something he has to get used to with Betty coming back to school, but he can't stop the aching feeling that his girlfriend is rushing her recovery. Running a hand through his dark hair, a habit that has formed post-beanie, he thinks of all the times that Betty has put others before herself, and he can't help but wonder if Betty's desire to come back to school is for herself, or for her friends and family that want her to appear well again.

Jughead doesn't have to spend any more class periods worrying about his girlfriend. Upon leaving history, he finds an ashen-faced Betty outside of the classroom waiting for him.

"I think I need to go home," she whispers to him through her mask. "I think I bit off more than I can chew."

Jughead nods. He realizes that there's no way the two of them can walk home, and when he suggests calling a cab, Betty informs him that Veronica has already sent for her car service to pick her up.

"I don't want you to have to miss school too, Jug. I can go home by myself, I'll be fine."

"No way," he tells her firmly. "Not with you looking like you do right now."

The dark circles under Betty's eyes put his own to shame, and her face is completely void of color, blending in with the white hospital mask.

Betty opens her mouth to argue with him, but Jughead interrupts.

"I have an agreement with my teachers as well. They know what we have going on, Betty. And let's be honest here, neither of us are struggling academically. C'mon, let's get you home."

Fifteen minutes later, Veronica's car service drops the two teens off at the Cooper household, and Jughead slowly helps Betty up the steps and down the path to the house. Once inside, he helps her to the couch, where Betty takes her mask off and buries her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking with sobs.

"Hey, hey," Jughead says, kneeling on the floor in front of Betty. He gently rubs his girlfriend's legs as she continues to cry. "What's wrong?"

"I just want everything to be back to normal," Betty moans between sobs. "You have no idea how frustrating this is for me, Jug. I need to be okay again."

"And you will be," he tells her reasonably. "Betty, you just finished a month of wreaking havoc on your body. It's going to take more than two days for you to recover from that."

Betty sighs and nods, leaning against the back of the couch. She tucks her knees to her chest and rubs her forehead. Jughead gets up and sits on the couch next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

0o0o0o0

Several hours later, following a discussion with Jughead, Hal, and Alice, Betty agrees not to attempt to return to school until the following week. The agreement is full of tears on Betty's part, and while Jughead empathizes with her, he is thankful she's making the correct, logical decision.

That night, Betty falls asleep immediately while Jughead reads next to her in bed. She is curled around him with her leg hiked up over one of his, and her head on his chest. Suddenly, during her sleep, Betty lets out a loud, dry cough, startling Jughead into dropping his book over the side of the bed.

"Betts?" he asks, his heart hammering in his chest. When she doesn't stir, he shakes her gently.

"What is it, Jug?" she asks groggily, cracking an eye open and squinting up at him.

Jughead frowns, his eyebrows knit together. "Are you feeling ok?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You just coughed, I wanted to make sure you feel okay."

Betty cocks an eyebrow at him. "…you woke me up because I _coughed_?"

Jughead pauses, realizing how paranoid that sounds, and gives her a small smile. "Yes, it would appear as though I did."

Betty grins drowsily. "I'm going back to sleep now, okay?"

"I love you, Betty."

"Love you too, Jug."

0o0o0o0

"Juggie?"

Jughead jerks awake. It is still mostly dark out, though the small amount of light filtering in through Betty's bedroom window tells him that it's close to dawn.

"What's wrong, Betts?" he asks blearily, rolling over.

"I don't feel well," Betty whispers to him. Her voice is hoarse and she lets out a rattling cough. She takes his hand in hers and moves it to her forehead, which is hot to the touch. "I'm scared."

Jughead springs out of bed, throwing on a pair of sweatpants and dragging one of Betty's oversized t-shirts over his head. The doctors had warned them that if Betty had a fever, to rush her to the hospital, for it is considered a medical emergency.

He sprints down the hallway, banging on Hal and Alice's bedroom door. "Betty needs to get to the hospital," he calls to them, and listens to hear them rummaging around before returning to Betty's room, where she is shakily pulling a sweat shirt on.

"It's freezing in here," she rasps, hugging herself and shivering.

Jughead pulls her into a hug and rubs the sides of her arms, doing his best to warm her up, though he notices beads of sweat on her pale forehad. Alice and Hal turn the corner into Betty's room, their eyes wide and scared. Upon seeing them, Betty bursts into tears.

"I'm so sorry," she cries, nestling her head into the crook of Jughead's chest.

"Don't be ridiculous. What on earth are you apologizing for?" Alice asks while Hal gathers some of Betty's belongings and puts them into a bag.

"I just can't get better," Betty replies, her body still shaking with both chills and sobs. "You guys should just let me die. That way your lives can go back to normal."

Jughead's stomach lurches to the point that he almost throws up. He knows Betty is speaking irrationally out of fear, but the thought of actually losing her hasn't entered his mind until this moment.

"Don't say that, Betts," he tells her weakly. "We're going to get you to the hospital and you're going to be fine."

0o0o0o0

Once Jughead and the Coopers arrive at the emergency room, the medical staff whisk her away. Dr. Lloyd, the emergency room physician that had first told Betty that she had cancer, calls Mr. and Mrs. Cooper and Jughead to his office while his medical team runs more tests on Betty.

"I don't have to tell you that this is a very serious condition," he says, his face drawn. "Neutropenia, or a dangerously low white blood cell count, is just as deadly, if not deadlier, than the cancer that Betty is currently fighting."

Jughead leans down, placing his face in his hands. ' _This is all my fault_ ,' he thinks. ' _If only I had told Betty she needed to take it easy the first few days being home, this wouldn't have happened._ '

"Why is this happening?" Alice asks. Her face is pale. "What should we have done differently?"

"This can sometimes happen when chemo patients go home from induction," Dr. Lloyd tells them. "Seven to ten days after chemo finishes is when a patient's white count is going to be lowest, and according to her charts, Betty is right in that window. It's likely nothing that you specifically did or didn't do. Our preliminary tests indicate that Betty has pneumonia, and if that's the case, it was most likely caused by a bacterium that usually resides in her respiratory tract that her immune system simply couldn't keep in check."

Jughead listens to the doctor, but it does not help alleviate his guilt. He keeps his head in his hands, slowly massaging his temples, trying to reduce his stress headache.

"Does it normally come on this fast?" Hal asks, clearly searching for any other possible answer. "She was fine when she went to bed last night, and now she's in awful shape."

"It does," the doctor returns. "When patients are neutropenic, their condition can change over a matter of minutes."

"She coughed last night when she was falling asleep," Jughead interjects. He looks up at the Coopers, his eyes pleading for forgiveness. "I asked her if she was okay, and she laughed at me because I was worried over a cough. I'm sorry, I should have said something."

"There was no way for you to know," Dr. Lloyd interjects before the Coopers respond. "Like I said, these changes can take place in minutes. Once I get her lab values back, we will have a clearer course of treatment, but it is very possible that Betty is already septic, and that will complicate things."

Jughead and the Coopers find their way back to the ER waiting room until one of the nurses on staff calls them to see Betty. She hands them surgical masks, informing them that they must wear them until Betty is no longer neutropenic. Walking into the room, Jughead can see that Betty is in deep trouble. Her face is gray with a bluish tint to it, and she has a large oxygen mask strapped to her face. Jughead's eyes fill with tears and he forces himself to look anywhere but at her; she cannot see him upset.

Alice and Hal sit next to her at the bedside, and Jughead sits on the side of the bed.

Betty's eyes are half shut, and other than flickering her gaze to them briefly, she does not give any sign that she recognizes them. Jughead wonders how it's possible that her health has deteriorated this much further than when he saw her an hour ago. He reaches over to grab her hand, looking for any way to let her know that he is there with her.

Before long, Dr. Lloyd walks into the room and gestures for the Coopers and Jughead to meet him outside in the hallway. His face is grim. "I got the test results, and as I feared, Betty's pneumonia has progressed to full-blown sepsis."

"What does that mean?" Alice asks, her eyes wide with fear.

"It means that the infection in the lungs has spread to her bloodstream," the doctor explains. "And it can now spread to her other vital organs."

"So, what do we do to get her better?" Hal asks.

"We're going to start her on the strongest antibiotics we've got," Dr. Lloyd tells him. "It is absolutely imperative that her body does not have to work any harder than absolutely necessary during this fight, and for that reason, we are going to be placing her on a ventilator and into a medically-induced coma."

Jughead's stomach lurches, and for the second time within the hour, he thinks he might get sick. Judging by the looks on Alice and Hal's faces, they feel the same way. He leans against the wall of the hallway for support.

"For how long?" Jughead croaks. His voice cracks, and the adults turn to him.

"As long as necessary," Dr. Lloyd responds solemnly. "I've seen people respond well to treatment over a couple days, but I've also had patients take as long as a month." The doctor hesitates. "I need to be completely transparent with you. Patients often do not come back from this, especially with an impaired immune system; every organ that shuts down, Betty's chances of surviving decrease by twenty percent."

The doctor's words hit Jughead like bullets, and silent tears begin streaming down his face. Since the beginning of this journey, he has not for a single moment given any thought to the idea that Betty may not survive. He refuses to let his mind wander to what life would be like without her.

"I suggest that you all tell her how much you love her," the doctor continues, his tone empathetic, but graver still. "It is possible this is the last time you'll be able to speak to her."

 **A/N:** To be continued...


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:** Thank you all for your kind words on the last chapter. I know this story is dark and angsty, but I promise it will be rewarding in the end. This next chapter is a good bit shorter than I typically care to publish, but I think the content stands well on its own. I hope you enjoy.

Upon hearing the doctor's words, Jughead excuses himself from the hallway meeting and quickly finds a bathroom located down several yards away. He breaks into a run and rushes in, not bothering to lock the door behind him before hurling himself in front of the toilet and emptying the contents of his stomach. Once his body finishes heaving, he moans and sits on the floor of the bathroom, his back against the wall and his head in his arms.

He wants to sob, to rage against the universe for this cruel turn of events, and to release this pent-up emotion that makes his body feel as though he is going to explode, but he finds himself unable to. His chest is constricted to the point that it is hard to breathe, and his entire body _hurts_. The degree of emotion he experiences in this moment is unlike anything he's ever felt before, and he finds himself in agonizing pain, both emotional and physical.

Jughead doesn't know how much time passes as he sits on the floor of the bathroom. He wills himself to breathe in through his nose and out through his mouth, doing his absolute best to regain some semblance of equilibrium. He knows that he needs to return to Betty's bedside, but he refuses to let her, or anyone else for that matter, see him _this_ out of control.

Several more minutes pass, and Jughead shakily crawls to his feet. He flushes the toilet and washes his hands in the sink, looking at his ghost-like reflection in the mirror. His deep blue eyes starkly contrast the while, pallid color of his face, making them stand out eerily. Before leaving the bathroom, he pulls out his phone and begins a group text to Archie and Veronica. 'Get to the hospital NOW,' he types, before pressing send and placing the phone back in his pocket.

He walks back to Betty's room, feeling slightly more human, to find Alice alone at Betty's bedside. Like before, Betty is unresponsive and she makes no sign that she recognizes Jughead's presence.

Jughead sits in the chair beside Alice, who is crying quietly to herself.

"Where's Mr. Cooper?" Jughead asks her.

Alice snorts, but it turns into a strange, strangled half-sob. "He left."

" _Left?_ " Jughead asks, shocked. He can't imagine how anyone can leave in such dire circumstances. "As in, he went home until something changes?"

Alice gives a cold laugh. "No, Jughead, he _left_. As in, he is leaving me and the girls. We're getting a divorce. We put everything on hold during Betty's diagnosis and treatment to avoid adding anything to her plate, but I suppose this was too much for his delicate heart to handle, and he just told me that he was going home to get his things, and that he is moving out now."

Jughead's mind goes blank temporarily, and he has no idea what to say to the Cooper matriarch. "I'm sorry," he says lamely.

"That's why we went to go see Polly the weekend Betty was diagnosed," Alice continues, disregarding Jughead's futile apology. "We wanted to meet the twins and tell her in-person. Things just haven't been good between us for quite some time. So now, he's left me here alone to watch our daughter fight for her life." Her voice breaks on the last word, and she hunches forward, obviously doing her best to refrain from melting down completely.

Jughead embraces this information, doing his best to downplay his shock. Sure, he knew the Cooper parents have their issues, but _every_ set of Riverdale parents has them, and the Cooper's problems always seemed to be on the more 'normal' end of the spectrum, not that the standard is set particularly high in the small town.

Standing, Jughead leans over and wraps his arms around the shaking shoulders of Alice Cooper. She grasps onto him, holding on for dear life.

"I've lost everyone, Jughead," Alice whispers into the lapel of Jughead's Serpent jacket. "I can't lose her too."

Jughead's eyes fill with tears again, but he refuses to let them escape. "She's going to pull through, Alice. She's going to beat this."

0o0o0o0

Before long, a team of nurses and hospital transport personnel arrive to move Betty to the intensive care unit. It is there that they will administer the medications that will induce her coma. Jughead and Alice follow the team pushing Betty's bed down the hallway, where they are intercepted by a panic-stricken Archie Andrews and Veronica Lodge. Jughead motions for Alice to follow Betty, and that they will meet her in the ICU once they are up to speed.

"What the hell is going on, Jug?" Archie asks, his eyes following the transport team down the hallway.

Jughead's throat constricts for what feels like the hundredth time that hour. "She has pneumonia," he says, exerting every ounce of his willpower to remain composed in front of his friends. "And the bacteria got into her blood stream so now she's septic."

"And what does that mean?" Veronica asks. Her face is pale.

Jughead falters. "It means she's fighting for her life. They're going to put her in a medically-induced coma so her body can focus solely on healing. But the doctors aren't-" he breaks off, a sob catching in his throat. "The doctors aren't very optimistic. They suggested that people come to tell her they love her, just in case." He forbids himself to elaborate, not trusting himself to keep his composure.

Veronica raises her hands to her mouth and covers it, her large eyes full of tears. She begins trembling, and throws herself onto Jughead, letting out a heart-wrenching wail and encasing him in a giant hug. This gesture from Veronica, who Jughead has purposely maintained a relatively distant friendship with, pushes him over the edge, and together the teenagers are overcome with sobs. A strong pair of arms wraps around the two smaller framed individuals, and Jughead knows that Archie has joined the embrace.

"What can we do for you, Jug?" Archie asks after a while.

Jughead shakes his head, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. He honestly doesn't know the answer to his friend's question. "I think first things first, let's get to the ICU before they put her under. She's not really awake right now, but the nurses said that she can probably still hear us."

Jughead waits outside the door to Betty's room while Archie and Veronica speak to her. He wants to allow them their privacy with her, and additionally, he doesn't know whether or not he can handle hearing what they have to say. Alice had already spent time alone with her daughter while Jughead, Archie, and Veronica waited in the hallway, and after speaking with the doctors, she left to meet a locksmith to change all of the locks at the house. Nobody has heard anything from Hal.

Jughead doesn't allow himself to ruminate on the latter, for every time his thoughts stray to Hal abandoning Betty in her most vulnerable hour, he feels an anger flare within him that he's not currently prepared to deal with. There will come a time and a place for confrontation with Betty's father, but this isn't it.

Ten minutes later, Archie and Veronica both leave Betty's room, their arms wrapped around one another. They both have tear tracks down their faces with matching expressions of devastation behind their surgical masks.

"We love you, man," Archie chokes out and Veronica bends over, once again succumbing to tears.

Jughead nods, not trusting himself to say anything to them. He walks stiffly into Betty's room to find her as he had left her earlier, pale in complexion with an unsettling bluish tinge. Her eyes are shut, and her oxygen mask fogs slightly with every exhale. The hospital bed dwarfs her small frame, and the IVs running into her body greatly outnumber anything Jughead has seen on her before, even through her first month of treatment in the hospital. He pulls a chair up close to the side of her bed and sits down, simply watching his girlfriend sleep for several long moments.

The teen lets out a long sigh. He can't shake the sinking, miserable feeling within his gut. This seems like a terrible nightmare; one in which he cannot force himself awake.

"Hey, Betts." He doesn't recognize his own voice. Jughead reaches out and grasps her hand, which is startlingly cold to the touch. "The doctors say they have to put you under for a while so you can get better, and I want you to know that no matter how long you need to take, I'm not going to leave your side." He pauses, feeling his chest begin to constrict. The teen takes in a long, slow breath. He refuses to cry in front of Betty; this has been a promise to himself that he's kept since Betty's initial diagnosis, and he doesn't intend to break it now.

"I just wanted to let you know that I love you," he continues, keeping the impending wave of emotion at bay for the time being. "You know, I never thought I would get to have something like this with anyone. I can count the number of good things that have happened to me during my lifetime on like three fingers, and then you came along-" His voice cracks. "-and you count as all of the fingers and all of the toes. And I just wanted to thank you, because you've opened my eyes to a portion of the human experience that I never thought would be in the cards for me. You made me realize that I can love and be loved, and no matter how old we grow together, I will never take that for granted."

Jughead sits in silence for several minutes, stroking Betty's hand idly. He has said all he needs to say, but he is unwilling to leave her just yet. However, before long, the ICU nurse walks in and informs him that they need visitors to leave temporarily while they start the medications necessary to induce Betty's coma. Jughead nods and stands shakily, bending down to kiss his girlfriend's forehead through his mask.

"I love you, Betty Cooper," he whispers into her ear. "Now and forever."

With that, he straightens up and walks out of the room, not noticing the single tear that slides down Betty's left cheek.


	13. Chapter 13

The warm water that spills over Jughead's back and shoulders helps to diminish the stress-induced aches and pains that have persisted since leaving Betty that afternoon. Today has been the most emotionally taxing day he has ever experienced, including the day his mother and sister left him behind. Somehow, taking a hot shower helps him to wash away at least some of the angst he has experienced, as well as the dried tears that still cling to him. Jughead turns into the shower head, rubbing his face vigorously, doing his best to scrub away at least some of his emotional upheaval.

The ICU has stricter visiting hours than the oncology ward within Riverdale General, and only one visitor is allowed to stay overnight, so after a short discussion with Alice, the two of them devised a rudimentary schedule so that one of them is with Betty at all times. Alice would take tonight, and Jughead would resume watch when she went into work the next morning, giving him time to get a good night's sleep, something that seems totally foreign at this point in his life.

Before leaving, Alice gave him one of the new keys to the house so he can come and go as he pleases, but Jughead is so exhausted that he can't imagine going anywhere, especially considering that Mrs. Cooper also stocked the fridge before returning to the hospital.

Stepping out of the shower, Jughead wraps his towel around his waist and looks into the foggy bathroom mirror. Even through the condensation, he can see the dark circles under his eyes. They are even more pronounced than usual, and these days, that's saying something. He reaches down and checks his phone for any messages, but the screen is blank. This causes him to feel a slight pang in his chest; since her diagnosis, Betty had maintained almost constant communication with Jughead when he wasn't at her side. To see his phone empty without any messages simply compounds the grief he has already succumbed to.

Once dressed, Jughead trots down the stairs and begins preheating the oven for one of the frozen pizzas Alice left for him. He is turning to place the pizza in the oven when he hears an odd sound and freezes. There is a dull thud on the deck out back, and the doorknob to the backdoor jiggles slightly.

Tossing the frozen meal on the counter, Jughead slips into the foyer and out the front door. He creeps around the house, staying as quiet as possible. Though break-ins are relatively rare in Riverdale, at this point, it is well-known that the Cooper household is empty a good portion of the time due to Betty's frequent hospital stays, and it is plausible that someone would try to take advantage of it.

The teen slips into the backyard and walks silently to where he can see a hunched figure still fiddling with the back door. Jughead slowly creeps up the stairs to the deck before he can make out exactly _who_ the intruder is.

"Mr. Cooper?"

Hal Cooper jumps back from the door and spins around to face Jughead.

"Jughead! I didn't realize anyone would be home. I assumed you would be at the hospital."

"Yeah, well if you had stuck around, you'd know that only one visitor can stay in the ICU overnight," Jughead replies with narrowed eyes. He folds his arms across his chest, giving Hal a critical glare.

Hal ignores the comment and has the audacity to give Jughead a crooked smile. "I think Alice changed the locks to the house. Would you mind letting me in? I need to grab a few things."

"I'm pretty certain Alice changed the locks so you _can't_ grab a few things," Jughead returns coolly.

"Come on, Jughead, you know how she can be," Hal replies, obviously doing his best to create comradery.

"Yeah, I do." He sees Hal's face soften momentarily, clearly thinking Jughead was going to let him in, and it ignites a flame within the teen. "I know she can be difficult. But you know what? She's got bigger balls than you could ever _hope_ to have, Hal. She's sitting in the hospital all night with your daughter that you _abandoned_ when times got too tough. So, no, I will not be letting you in the house. I suggest you leave and work out a time with Mrs. Cooper for you to come get whatever the hell it is you need, but it sure as hell won't be when I'm here."

Hal steps forward aggressively. "You listen to me, Jones. You don't talk to me like that. This is _my_ house. I will call the Sheriff right now and have you escorted off the premises if you don't let me in."

"Go ahead and call then. I'm not going anywhere."

Hal's fist connects with Jughead's jaw in a swift, smooth movement, and it almost knocks the teenager off his feet. He recovers his balance just in time for Hal's other fist to connect with his right eye. Jughead ducks just in time to avoid a third punch, while raising his knee to connect with Hal's groin. Mr. Cooper howls in pain and bends over, clutching his crotch, and Jughead takes advantage of the down time to connect a hard punch to the older man's jaw. During the strike, he feels a quick pop and a searing pain in his right hand and he draws it back to his chest, holding it with his left. This gives Hal a moment to recover, and he throws Jughead against the side of the house, pinning him there by his throat. Jughead struggles to breathe while staring into Mr. Cooper's dark green eyes. Bursts of light pop into his field of vision, and darkness begins to creep into the exterior of his gaze.

Suddenly, there is a commotion in the backyard, and Mr. Cooper is suddenly tackled to the ground, leaving Jughead grasping at his throat and struggling to breathe. He sinks down to the deck, hearing the scuffle continuing elsewhere, but is unable to watch for the time being.

"Juggie, can you hear me?"

Jughead glances up to see Veronica crouching down in front of him. She has her hands on his knees, a concerned expression in her deep brown eyes.

"Yeah," he rasps, still catching his breath.

"We were just having dinner with Mr. Andrews and your dad when we heard the commotion," Veronica tells him. "Thank goodness we ran out when we did."

"Yeah, I was getting my ass kicked by an old man," Jughead replies, giving her a crooked smile, but wincing when his mouth stings at the movement, the taste of blood becoming prevalent.

Veronica stands and reaches down to pull Jughead to his feet. He is unsteady at first, the result of several blows to his head, but regains his balance when Veronica puts an arm around him. They slowly make their way around the house to find FP, Mr. Andrews, and Archie in the front yard, all breathing hard. Mr. Cooper is nowhere to be seen. Veronica relinquishes her hold on him once she deems him steady enough on his own accord.

FP turns around, his eyebrows raising at Jughead's bloodied appearance.

"Let's get you inside, son."

Two minutes later, the group sits around the Cooper's dining room table while Veronica applies a cotton ball soaked in hydrogen peroxide to the multitude of cuts on Jughead's face. He grimaces as the bubbling liquid stings the abrasions, however nothing compares to the pain in his hand, which has a bag full of ice sitting on it, courtesy of Archie.

"Dude, you're in a gang, how do they not teach you to throw a punch without breaking your hand?" Archie asks, tilting his chair back on two legs.

FP and Fred laugh, while Veronica throws a furtive look towards her boyfriend.

Jughead spits more blood into a paper towel and glares at Archie. "Says the one who literally broke his hand punching a frozen lake. I was already getting my ass kicked when I landed my first hit. I wasn't exactly paying attention to my form, Arch. I didn't see Hal Cooper being much of a brawler; it took me by surprise."

"He definitely got a few good blows in," FP says, observing the bruises that are already appearing on his son's visage. "I'll be sending a few of my guys to set some ground rules with Hal tomorrow."

"Don't bother," Jughead tells him. Veronica wipes more blood out of the corner of his mouth and continues her torture with the stinging liquid. "I don't think he'll try this again now that he knows that all of the locks have been changed. I'm sure Alice has already given Sheriff Keller a heads up as well."

"Alice changed the locks?" Fred asks in his usual mellow tone. "What's up with that?"

Jughead shrugs. "I guess the Coopers are getting a divorce, and Hal has chosen now of all times to leave. I think Alice knew he would try to get into the house when he thought we would be at the hospital with Betty, so she stayed one step ahead of him."

"Trouble in paradise, eh?" FP asks, stretching backwards. "Well, good riddance. If Hal can't stick around while Betty is fighting for her life, then he doesn't deserve those women anyway."

Jughead feels a surge of gratitude and love for his father. "Damn straight," he mumbles as Veronica puts away the first aid kit and sits next to Archie.

"How are you holding up, Jug?" Fred asks, studying him carefully. The look on his face told the teen he was asking about his emotional wellbeing rather than his physical.

Jughead shrugs, feeling lost. The excitement of the last half hour had temporarily dulled the emotional turmoil of the day, but now that things are quieting down, it returns with a vengeance. He doesn't look at the group, willing himself not to cry again as he blinks back tears.

"The doctors don't seem particularly optimistic," he says heavily, staring fixedly at the floor. "I assume Archie and Veronica told you that much."

Fred nods. "They did," he replies quietly.

"Now, we just wait to see whether or not she pulls through," Jughead shrugs, doing his best to appear casual and failing miserably. His stomach churns ominously, and any thoughts he had of finally cooking the abandoned frozen pizza disappear.

"You mean when she pulls through," Veronica corrects him, her eyes blazing.

"Right," he amends, kicking himself, "when she pulls through."

That night, FP decides to stay with Jughead at the Cooper residence. It is under the pretense that he can drive Jughead to the hospital in the morning, but Jughead knows his father is worried about Hal Cooper coming back to the house in the middle of the night. Though he typically prefers to spend time alone when dealing with particularly strong emotions, he finds he is thankful for his dad's company. The two spend the evening watching stand-up comedy on television, and even though laughing hurts his bruised and battered face, the catharsis it provides is more than welcome.

By the time Jughead goes to bed, he has a vivid black eye. His mouth and lip have stopped bleeding for the most part, but his hand continues to throb painfully. FP does his best to convince him to get x-rays, but Jughead refuses, saying he will do it when he's already at the hospital in the morning. For the time being, all he wants is to fall asleep in Betty's bed, smelling her scent on the pillows.

0o0o0o0

"Well, Mr. Jones, you have an impressive boxer's fracture," Dr. Lloyd tells him early the next morning, staring at the black and white film against the fluorescent lighting. "Two of them, as a matter of fact."

"I assumed as much," the teen replies, staring down at his mangled hand. Its steady throbbing kept him up most of the night, and by the time he finally got up this morning, it had turned a magnificent shade of purple.

"We will cast this up and send you upstairs to see Betty," the doctor tells him sympathetically. "The fractures aren't displaced, so I don't think you'll need surgery."

"Well, that's the first good news I've heard in weeks," Jughead grumbles. He grimaces as the doctor manipulates his hand, and an hour later, he walks out of the emergency department with a black cast that covers his middle, ring, and pinkie fingers, up to the elbow of his right arm.

"What the hell happened to you?" Alice Cooper asks him as he walks through the double doors to the ICU.

"Your husband," Jughead replies, giving her a sideways glance and stopping outside of Betty's room.

Alice's blue eyes are wide. "You're joking."

"Wish I was," Jughead sighs. "He wanted to get into the house to get some stuff and I wouldn't let him."

Alice sighs and runs a hand over her face. She looks exhausted. "I'm sorry, Jughead," she says gently. She reaches out and gently traces over his black eye with her thumb. "I already have Sheriff Keller keeping an eye on the house, but per usual, he's useless."

"It's not a big deal," Jughead mutters. "He shouldn't have left you guys like this. I had no issue telling him that."

Alice gives him a half-smile and pats his shoulder, seemingly at a loss for words for the first time in her life.

"Has anything changed with Betty?" he asks, changing the subject from himself.

Alice sighs, and together, they step into her daughter's room. There is a new machine in there that hadn't been there when Jughead left before.

"What's that?" Jughead asks, gesturing to it.

"That is a portable dialysis machine," Alice says quietly. "Her kidneys started failing last night."

Jughead feels as though he's been punched in the gut. He remembers Dr. Lloyd's words, that every organ that fails decreases Betty's chances of survival by twenty percent.

"But the dialysis can keep that under control, right?"

"For now, yes," Alice tells him. "Other than that, everything has remained the same. No improvements in her lung function or her white cell count."

Jughead flops into the chair by Betty's bedside, rubbing his face with his good hand and keeping his bad one tucked against his stomach for protection. "Okay," he says weakly.

The day passes without any out of the ordinary occurrences. Betty's face remains ashy and gray, and she has upwards of ten IV lines running into her, not including the tube in her throat that connects her to the ventilator, but she is still captivatingly beautiful. Jughead watches her sleep for the majority of the time he spends sitting at her bedside; even when he attempts to read from his novel, he simply ends up watching her over the pages of the book, studying every inch of her flawless face. The teen slides his chair over as close to her bed as possible and closes his hand around hers. Through the contact, he wills her to keep fighting, and reassures her that he's not going anywhere, not until she wakes up.

After a while, Jughead's eyelids grow heavy. Though he was supposed to have caught up on sleep the night before, his adrenaline from his incident with Hal had kept him awake, along with the pain in his hand. The sound of the machine breathing for Betty is rhythmic and lulls him into a drowsy state, and before he knows it, his head rolls onto his shoulder and he falls asleep.

0o0o0o0

The next ten days or so are some of the most emotionally and physically exhausting that Jughead has ever experienced. Living every day as though it could be the last with the love of your life, Jughead has discovered, is beyond taxing. He spends most his time at Betty's bedside, having been put on online curriculum for school, but living life in the hospital is draining. The teen can't remember the last time he got more than two or three hours of sleep in a row due to the constant influx of nurses and physicians, and just like it was during Betty's chemotherapy treatment, he cannot rest during his nights off from the hospital because he worries constantly. He is certain he has lost at least ten pounds, because his stomach is constantly in knots and doesn't trust himself to keep food down, and as Veronica so eloquently put it one evening in the hospital, "Times are desperate if Jughead Jones has lost his appetite."

As for Betty, her condition has remained consistently inconsistent. Some days, the doctors seem optimistic, saying that her lung sounds have improved, or that her white cell count is slowly climbing, and other days, they are less so, saying that Betty's liver enzyme levels are now off, and that she is bordering on compromised liver function in addition to her lung and kidney failure. The one definitively positive occurrence that Dr. Lloyd and Dr. Tuemler agree upon is that the antibiotics are slowly clearing up the pneumonia, but they aren't sure whether or not this guarantees recovery due to the ultimate toll it has taken on Betty's body.

"Any updates?" Archie asks him one morning in the hallway at Riverdale High. Though placed on online curriculum, Jughead still has to take tests and quizzes in class.

"Nothing that I've heard," Jughead replies. "I wasn't with her last night though, Alice was. I'll head over there at some point today after our exam and I'll let you know what her nurses say."

"Sounds good, thanks man."

Jughead finishes his math test and turns it in to Mr. Bentley before pulling out his phone to see what time Alice needs him at the hospital that day. He has gotten slack about checking it since Betty's induced coma, mainly because she was the only person he ever texted. His stomach bottoms out when he sees a message from Alice sent over two hours ago that reads, 'GET TO THE HOSPITAL NOW'.

Jughead's body goes cold, and he feels the blood drain from his face. He whips around to Archie and Veronica, but their heads are still down, consumed by their tests. Jughead grabs his bag with his good hand and slips out of the classroom before sprinting down the hallway and out of the school. He skips down the stairs and runs the fastest he's ever traveled on foot through the streets of Riverdale to the hospital, getting honked at by several angry motorists along the way.

He sprints up the stairs to the second floor and skids into the hallway of the ICU, clutching at a stitch in his chest with his casted hand, and nearly takes out Alice Cooper, who is standing in the hallway on the phone. She has mascara tracks down her cheeks, and the sight roots Jughead to the spot. ' _No. No, no, no,_ ' he thinks desperately.

"I'm sorry I just got your text," Jughead pants to Alice, completely disregarding her phone call. "I was taking a test. I got here as fast as I could."

Alice pulls the phone from her face, her expression giving nothing away. "Go ahead in, I'll be there in a second."

Jughead's legs are trembling so violently, he doesn't trust himself to walk. He shakily steps around the corner into the room, and the sight that greets him is enough to stop his heart. There, sitting up, smiling, and awake, is Betty Cooper.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note:** Thank you all for your awesome reviews from the last chapter! I promise I'm working on responding to them individually, but for now, here's an update :)

Jughead freezes, knowing that he has to be hallucinating. He blinks several times, rubbing his eyes and shaking his head, but every time his blue irises emerge, they meet the green ones of Betty Cooper. In a trance, he steps forward, walking slowly across the room, every breath catching in his chest. For the first time in almost two weeks, his hand and soul are completely pain free, mesmerized by the light directly in front of him. He sits on the edge of the bed, reaching his good hand out to stroke the side of Betty's pristine visage, still not convinced this is reality.

Betty's eyes close briefly at the contact, sending a tear running across Jughead's hand. The moisture is the last thing Jughead needs to prove that this is in fact happening, and emotion explodes in his chest. Letting out a strangled cry, he collapses into Betty's shoulder, clinging onto her for dear life, never wanting to release her. _Never again_ will he let go.

"Shh," Betty whispers into his hair, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm here, Juggie. I'm okay." Her voice is hoarse from the intubation and ventilator, but strong nonetheless.

He has never felt so overcome with emotion, never allowed himself to get this out of control. Jughead continues to cry into her chest, releasing all of his pent-up anxiety and exhaustion from the last two weeks. In her arms, he is home, and he has been _so_ very homesick.

After several minutes, Jughead composes himself enough to glance up to Betty's face, which is also shining with tears.

"I thought I was going to lose you, Betts," he whispers. He shakes his head, fighting off another round of sobs and looks into her eyes, the beautiful eyes he thought he would get to peer into again.

"I know," Betty replies softly. She brushes Jughead's dark curls from his face and slowly scratches his scalp as he lays his head on her shoulder. "But I'm okay. I'm here and I'm better."

At that moment, Alice walks into the room, having hung up the phone. "That was your sister," she informs Betty. "She's so glad to hear you're on the mend, and as soon as you're up for it, she wants to bring the twins to see you."

Betty smiles and nods, her fingers still combing lazily through Jughead's hair. "That sounds wonderful," she murmurs.

Jughead closes his eyes as he continues to rest against Betty's shoulder. The gentle scratching on his scalp is sending tingles down his spine, and for the first time in what feels like an eternity, he is relaxed and happy. He would typically refrain from any public displays of affection in front of Betty's mom out of respect and modesty, as well as a little fear, but a herd of wild horses could not drag him away from where he is right now.

"I'm sorry I didn't let you know they were waking her up, Jughead," Alice tells him. "They first introduced the idea after you left yesterday afternoon, and by the time I texted you, she was already waking up."

"It's fine, Alice. It made for a pretty fantastic surprise," he replies, smiling up at his girlfriend, who returns the grin.

"I'm going to run down and grab some coffee," Alice says. "Anyone need anything?"

"I think we're good, Mom, thanks," Betty tells her.

Once Alice has left the room, Betty leans down and kisses the top of her boyfriend's head. He straightens up, leaning back to survey her. She has a nasal cannula around her face helping her to get oxygen, but other than that, she looks good. There is only one IV running now, which is far fewer than the number she had while sedated. Overall, Betty looks pale and tired, but absolutely stunning nonetheless

"I love you, Betty, more than life itself," he says breathlessly. The wave of emotion continues to swell within him, and he struggles to find words to convey it to his girlfriend.

Betty smiles serenely. "I love you too, Juggie, more than you know." She glances down, noticing his cast for the first time, and wide eyes dart back to his face. "What happened to you?"

Jughead hesitates. He doesn't know whether or not Alice has told Betty about Hal's absence, and he certainly doesn't want to break the news of the impending divorce. "Have you talked to your mom about some of the Cooper happenings since you went under?"

Betty grimaces and sighs. "She told me about my dad leaving, if that's what you're alluding to."

"Yeah. So, I kind of caught him trying to get into your house after your mom changed the locks, and we _may_ have gotten into a bit of an altercation," Jughead replies, holding his cast up. By now, there are a plethora of silver signatures on the black plaster. "His jaw won against my hand."

"Oh, Jug," Betty sighs, taking the casted arm into her lap and rubbing his shoulder. She shakes her head. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault I can't land a punch correctly," he shrugs, refraining from telling her the part of the story where Hal tried to strangle him against the side of the house. Betty doesn't need the added stress.

"Well thank you," Betty says quietly. "For protecting the house from him."

"Anything for you, Betts," Jughead says, wrapping his arm around her waist and kissing her temple softly. "You know that."

0o0o0o0

Betty is released from the hospital that evening. Her white blood cell counts are good, and her lung x-rays came back clear from pneumonia. The doctors have warned her that it is very important to take it easy, and Jughead plans on making sure that happens, even if it means preventing Alice from throwing any more welcome home parties. However, the impending divorce seems to have the Cooper matriarch distracted and subdued, so thankfully nothing has been mentioned on the party-planning front.

Jughead walks through the front doors of the Cooper house behind Betty and Alice, carrying their bags. He sets them down on the floor and straightens up, watching Betty carefully. The doctors and physical therapists at the hospital warned her that she lost a good deal of muscle mass from non-use while she was in her coma, so she will be weaker than usual and tire very easily. She has lost even more weight than before, and Jughead would be surprised if she weighs more than 100 pounds at this point.

"I'm going to go to the store to get food for dinner," Alice tells them. "Any requests?"

Jughead looks to Betty expectantly. For the first time in his life, someone else's stomach takes priority over his, and he wants her to choose something she wants.

"Probably nothing too heavy," Betty tells her. "I'll probably have salad or soup, so if you and Jughead want something else, go ahead and make that."

"Elizabeth, you need to eat something a little heavier than that. You're wasting away in front of us."

Jughead and Betty glance at one another, concealing their respective shocked expressions. Alice has never suggested that Betty should eat something 'heavier'.

Betty shrugs helplessly. "I don't think I can," she says apologetically. "My stomach still isn't right, especially after they gave me that dose of chemo today."

Alice sighs and nods before heading out the door.

Jughead walks over to Betty and wraps his arms around her, kissing the top of his beanie. She returns the gesture, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him close.

"I feel bad for disappointing her," Betty says into his chest, "but I really don't think I could eat anything too solid right now."

"She understands," Jughead replies evenly. "You're doing the best you can."

"I never thought she would tell me I need to gain weight," Betty giggles. "I can't wait to use that against her in the future."

Jughead grins. "Future. I really like the sound of that."

0o0o0o0

At dinner, Betty does her best to eat as much of the chicken and rice soup her mother prepared, but only finishes half her bowl before laying her spoon down. Both Jughead and Alice notice, but don't say anything, not wanting to add to her guilt. Shortly after helping Alice clean up, Jughead helps Betty climb the stairs to her room. It is so early that the sun is still shining, but both teens are completely spent after the last two weeks.

"Oh, my goodness," Betty says, halting as she walks into her room.

The typically pristine, pink bedroom is strewn with Jughead's clothes and belongings. They are on the floor, on her desk, and there's even a pile on her bed. Several books litter the floor, as well as his headphones and laptop. Betty looks up at him, amused.

"It looks like you've moved in."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Jughead smiles sheepishly and begins to move around the room, consolidating his clothing as best he can.

"It's okay," Betty laughs. "Did you stay here the entire time I was in the hospital? I thought you would go to your house."

"Nah, I stayed here the nights I wasn't with you," he says, stuffing some of his clothes into a bag. "I kept an eye on the house for your mom when she was on duty." He straightens up, and adds, "Plus, your pillows smell like you, and that helps me sleep." Jughead ignores the burning in his cheeks.

Betty gives him a smile. "Are you going soft on me, Jones?"

"Me? Never." He stuffs his headphones into his duffle bag and gives his girlfriend a crooked grin.

"You know, Jug, if you wanted to put your stuff in my bottom dresser drawer, it's empty," Betty shrugs, doing her best to appear casual and sitting on the edge of her bed.

"A drawer, huh?" he asks, walking over and sitting down next to her. "You're sure you're ready for that next step in our relationship?"

"I think you've proven your worth," Betty returns, smiling up at him.

Jughead leans down and kisses her. He's been waiting for this all day for this moment, but hasn't found the right time. Her lips feel both foreign and incredible against his. She moves to deepen the kiss, but after a few moments pulls back, not trusting himself to utilize self-control if they go any further.

"Not right now, Betts, you need to take it easy," he sighs, rubbing her back with his non-casted hand. He shifts his pants uncomfortably, cursing his hormones.

0o0o0o0

While Betty changes into her pajamas, he places his clothes in his new drawer. He peeks up while Betty changes, making sure that she's steady on her feet, and is dismayed to see the evidence of her increased weight loss. Her hip bones jut out of her abdomen while she puts on her sleeping shorts, and when she changes into a baggy t-shirt, he can count the vertebrae and ribs running down her back. Jughead sighs, but makes no mention of it. Betty has already expressed insecurity with how skinny she appears, and he certainly doesn't want to exacerbate things.

Betty crawls into bed, appearing exhausted, as Jughead finishes packing his drawer. He is careful to shut it fully; while he and Alice have been on good terms for the last fortnight, he doesn't know how she will react to his new real estate in Betty's dresser.

"Hey, do you mind if I call my dad really quickly and give him the news?" Jughead asks her, stripping down to his boxers and crawling into bed next to her. Before Betty's release from the hospital, the three of them had all agreed not to tell people until the next day, as to not immediately overwhelm Betty with visitors. "He's been really supportive of me through all of this so I'd like to let him know."

"Of course," Betty replies, nestling into his chest. She wraps one of her legs around his, and Jughead has to think of anything _except_ his beautiful girlfriend to distract himself from his urges as he dials FP's number.

"What's up, Jug?"

Based on the background noise, Jughead surmises that FP is at the White Wyrm. This would typically make him uneasy, but it seems as though his father has turned the corner with regard to his alcohol use.

"Hey, Dad," Jughead says, resting his cheek against the top of Betty's beanie-clad head. "How's it going?"

"Can't complain." The background noise becomes quieter, signifying that FP has walked outside. "What's going on with you, everything okay?"

"Yeah, things are good," Jughead says, unable to stop himself from grinning. "Things are great, actually. Betty is awake and at home."

"You're shitting me." Jughead can hear his father's smile. "That's great news, Jug. I'm really happy for you guys. Tell her I'm thinking about her, and I'll try to drop by in the next couple days to visit."

"Sounds good and will do," Jughead says, giving Betty's shoulders a squeeze. "I'll talk to you sometime this week, okay?"

"Bye, son."

Betty falls asleep within minutes of the phone call, and while Jughead is not far behind her, he takes special care to wrap himself around her sleeping form and bask in the feeling of sleeping next to her. Over the last two weeks, he has constantly wondered whether or not this would ever be possible again, and to actually do it feels incredible. Her quiet, rhythmic breathing is music to his ears as he slowly drifts off into the first peaceful slumber he's had in almost two weeks.

0o0o0o0

At noon the next day, Jughead and Betty are still in bed. Jughead is in the purgatory between sleep and wakefulness at this point, enjoying his quiet time wrapped around his girlfriend, but Betty still seems to be out, recovering from her body's fight for her life.

All of a sudden, Betty's bedroom door flies open with a bang. Jughead jumps, his long limbs flailing in every direction, and Betty slowly lifts her head from her pillow, adjusting the beanie on her head.

"Really, you two? No calls or texts about this sensational homecoming?" Veronica asks, striding into the room and sitting on the edge of the bed, despite its inhabitants. Archie shuffles in behind her, hands in his pockets. Jughead pulls the sheet over his naked upper body, feeling self-conscious in front of their unexpected guests. Though Veronica's words and tone are severe, a giant grin spans across her face and there are tears in her eyes.

"Sorry, V," Betty yawns, smiling and stretching. She sits up, leaning over to hug her friend. "I needed a couple hours to return to normalcy. I was going to call you this morning, I promise."

"Morning has come and gone, Betty," Veronica laughs, hugging her friend back. Tears are spilling from her eyes at this point. "I am so glad you're okay, B. The past two weeks have been the worst of my life." 

"I know," Betty says, smiling up at Archie and hugging him as well before settling back against the pillows. "I'm sorry for the scare. I know things have been difficult for you guys."

Archie pulls up Betty's desk chair and sits down. "Never mind us. How are you feeling?" he asks her, his brown eyes still wide with concern.

Betty smiles reassuringly and leans back into Jughead's chest. "I'm good, Arch. Just readjusting and catching up on some rest."

"Well, you look amazing," Veronica says, her brown eyes running Betty up and down. "Seriously, B, you have more color than I've seen you have in forever."

Betty smiles shyly. "Thanks, V. I feel the best I've felt in a long time. The doctors told my mom and I they kept me under a couple days longer to make sure I would be good enough to go home after waking up. All my blood levels look good, so I'm back to my maintenance chemo once a week and supposedly back to normal."

"Well, then," Veronica says, leaning forward excitedly. "I say we take this meeting to Pop's and get some lunch- Daddy's treat."

"Hold your horses, Veronica," Jughead interjects, wrapping his casted arm around Betty's shoulders protectively. "Betty has to take it easy. Otherwise, she'll end up back in the hospital."

Betty smiles up at Jughead. "I feel good today, Juggie." She gives him a mischievous look. "In fact, I think good enough for a cheeseburger and milkshake at Pop's."

Jughead looks down at her, stunned. He cannot remember the last time Betty felt good enough to eat any sort of sustenance, especially a cheeseburger. "You're positive?" he asks her, not able to help the grin that tugs at the corners of his mouth.

"The only way I can really know is to try," Betty shrugs, returning his smile. "And this is the best I've felt in a really long time. I say we take Veronica up on her offer."

Once dressed, Veronica's car service drives the foursome to Pop's. Jughead can't remember the last time he actually sat in a booth here; since Betty's diagnosis, Pop's had been a stop to get food on the go when he was starving and didn't have any energy left to cook once returning to the Cooper's house. And over the past two weeks, Jughead had not visited at all; his stomach had constantly been in knots so he hadn't had his usual appetite, and constantly being asked about Betty when her condition had been so fragile was exhausting, even if the concerns were well-intentioned.

"You're sure you're okay?" Jughead murmurs to Betty as they walk up the stairs to the Chock'lit Shoppe.

Betty looks up to him, studying him over her surgical mask. "I am _fine_ , Juggie. I learned my lesson before. I'm not going to overdo it again." She gives him a sideways glance. "Plus," she adds, "I'm not the only one that's dropped too much weight during this fiasco."

Jughead blushes. Though he hadn't stepped on a scale, he knows she's right. "Touché, Cooper," he grumbles, opening the door for her.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes," Pop exclaims when Betty walks through the door ahead of Jughead, Archie, and Veronica. He comes from around the counter and gives Betty a huge hug, which warms Jughead's heart. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm good, Pop," Betty tells him through her mask, her green eyes crinkled with her smile. "Today's the first day I've had any sort of appetite, so of course I had to come see you."

"Well I'm so glad you did," Pop smiles down at her. He glances to Jughead. "Has this young man been taking proper care of you?"

"Of course," Betty says, wrapping her arm around Jughead's waist. She glances up at him. "He always does."

Several minutes later, the four friends are seated in their favorite booth with their usual milkshakes in front of them. Jughead notices Betty is sipping hers slowly, as if testing whether or not it would settle well in her stomach. It is then that he realizes she probably wanted to come to Pop's so _he_ could get a greasy, fattening meal rather than her.

Pop places their plates in front of them and they all thank him. Unable to help himself, Jughead digs in immediately, cramming a huge bite of cheeseburger into his mouth and reveling in its taste. In that moment, he pledges never to go two weeks without Pop's again.

Not wanting to draw any attention to her, he watches Betty in his peripheral vision. She eats a couple fries, obviously testing the waters, and after several moments of hesitation, she cuts her burger in half and takes a bite.

"How is it?" Jughead asks her. His own burger is almost gone at this point. Archie and Veronica are also watching cautiously, knowing Betty's struggles with her appetite during her chemotherapy.

"Delicious," Betty smiles at him. She places the other half of her burger on his plate. "There's no way I can finish it though. My stomach isn't big enough right now."

"You could save it for later," Jughead tells her.

"Go for it, Juggie," Betty tells him, smiling. "There's no guarantee on how I'll be feeling later. Besides, I can tell you want it."

"If you insist," he shrugs, digging in.

The gang spends an hour at Pop's but Jughead can tell Betty is fading by the time they ask to get their bill, which Pop refuses to give them.

"It's on the house," he insists, refusing to listen to their arguments.

Once the car service drops them off back at the Cooper's house, Betty is evidently ready for a nap. They wave goodbye to Archie and Veronica, and once in the doors, Jughead helps Betty up the stairs, where she crawls into bed.

"Want to lay with me?" she asks, rubbing his side of the bed.

"Who am I to refuse?" He crawls over her and wraps his arm around her, kissing the back of her neck.

Betty turns over to face him and kisses him tenderly. "I love you, Jughead Jones. Thank you so much for everything. You're unbelievable."

"I love you too, babe," he says, testing out the endearment for the first time while tracing his hand down the side of her face. "More than you know."

Betty smiles and slowly traces her hands down his chest and abdomen and begins to undo the button on his jeans. She reaches her hand in, stroking him, and Jughead lets out a shuttering breath.

"You're sure you're feeling up to this?" he asks her, shifting his jeans, which had suddenly become too tight.

"I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't, I promise," Betty murmurs against his lips, giving him another deep kiss. "Besides, my mom is at the Register. We have all the time in the world."

"I don't want you to get too tired," Jughead groans as Betty continues to run her hand along all the right places.

"Who says I have to do any of the work?" she giggles, cocking an eyebrow at him.

"Well okay then," he laughs, rolling on top of her and kissing his way down her neck. Betty lets out a shriek of laughter, and their afternoon is _very_ well spent.

0o0o0o0

That evening after dinner, Jughead sits in one of the Adirondack chairs on the Cooper's deck with Betty curled up in his lap. The late spring evening is warm with a light breeze, and Jughead honestly doesn't think things could get any better. Alice did decide to have a gather for dinner, but at Jughead's request she kept it small, so she, FP, and Fred Andrews talk on one side of the deck, while Jughead, Betty, Archie, and Veronica are on the other side.

Jughead traces small circles on Betty's back as she nestles her head into the crook of his neck. He wouldn't be surprised if she was already asleep by this point. The evening had been fun and full of laughter, by far the closest to "normal" since Betty's diagnosis, but now the friends sit in comfortable silence, enjoying both the weather and the comradery.

"I'm sorry I've taken your son from you, FP," Jughead hears Alice tell his father from the other side of the deck.

"No worries, Alice," FP replies, taking a swig from his beer bottle. "He's got it bad for that girl of yours. Besides, you're saving me a small fortune on groceries."

The adults laugh, and when it dies down, Jughead hears Alice speak again.

"I couldn't have done this without him," Alice tells FP and Fred quietly. "Especially with Hal leaving us. He's really held things together around here."

FP smiles over at his son, and Jughead pretends not to have heard their conversation. "He's a good kid," his father replies. "He makes me proud every day."

Jughead smiles. His friends don't seem to have heard the conversation, but he didn't need them to. He kisses the top of Betty's beanie and rests his chin on top of it. The last two weeks have been absolute hell, but things seem to be on the upswing, and he is so very thankful.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Thank you all for your kind words on the last chapter :) Per usual, this is unbeta'd, so all mistakes are my own doing!**

"Juggie! Wake up!"

Soft hands grab Jughead's bare shoulders and shake him awake one Friday morning six weeks into Riverdale High's summer break. It is two months after Betty's medically-induced coma, and since then, things have been relatively smooth sailing. Betty still goes to get chemo once a week, but will hopefully be tapered off to once a month soon in the final maintenance phase of her treatment, which is expected to last two years.

"Whasswrong?" Jughead mumbles, sitting up quickly and rubbing his eyes. He quickly prepares himself for some sort of emergency.

Betty grins at him from her vanity, having leapt across the room after shaking him awake. She points excitedly at her head. "My hair's coming back in, Jug," she says excitedly, her green eyes filling with tears. His girlfriend hops back and forth from foot-to-foot like a kid on Christmas morning.

Jughead's face splits into a grin as he swings his long legs out of bed and envelopes Betty into a big hug. The doctors had informed them hair regrowth may begin now that Betty's chemo regiment isn't as intense. It is rare to see her without her wig, or at least the beanie, but sure enough, light wispy hair is growing in along her scalp and he kisses the top of her head before she slides his beanie on.

"Congratulations, Betts," he smiles, leaning down to kiss her chastely. "I'm so happy for you. How did you sleep last night?"

"Great." Betty wraps her arms around his waist and gives him a pleading look. "I always do when you stay over."

Over the past month or so, ever since Betty's condition stabilized, Jughead has slowly been splitting his time between his dad's trailer and the Cooper's house more evenly, as to not overstay his welcome on the north side, and to resume some of his neglected Serpent duties on the south side, as well as spend time with his father. Even with Betty's health not as critical, Alice has maintained a (mostly) friendly demeanor towards Jughead; he even spent his first week of summer vacation with her boxing up Hal's belongings for him to come pick them up. The Cooper matriarch has still not allowed her estranged spouse access to the house, which makes Jughead secretly proud. The woman is resilient, he'll give her that much.

"I know you do," Jughead tells her, smiling down at her. "But distance makes the heart grow fonder, does it not?"

Betty rolls her eyes playfully. "I suppose it does."

Glancing at the clock, he sees that Betty's chemotherapy treatment starts in an hour. As she gets dressed and ready, he quickly showers and trots down the stairs to see whether he or Alice will take Betty to her treatment today. He finds her sitting at the kitchen table on her laptop.

"Morning, Alice," he tells her, grabbing a cup of coffee out of the pot and sitting down next to her at the table.

Alice glances up over the top of her laptop screen. "Good morning, Jug-head." She pronounces each syllable of his name, a clear sign of warning.

"Do you want me to take Betty to chemo this morning, or do you want to?" he asks, doing his best to keep the mood light.

"Is it Friday already?" Alice asks, her blue eyes widening.

"Yeah, Betty's last consolidation treatment is in an hour. I don't mind taking her; I told Mr. Andrews I wouldn't be able to work today."

Since the second week of summer, Jughead had been working for Mr. Andrews every day, rain or shine. When he still had his cast on, he did mostly office work, but since getting it off, he's been doing hard, manual labor day in and day out. With Betty more stable, his constant presence was not as necessary, and his savings from working at the drive-in had slowly dwindled away, so when Fred Andrews had approached him about working this summer, he leapt at the opportunity. This week is the first in a month that Jughead wouldn't hit overtime, and he is looking forward to a well-deserved day off.

"Yeah, you go ahead and take her," Alice says, running her hands over her face. "I'm working on some stuff with my divorce lawyer over email so I need to stay here today. You can take the station wagon."

"Noted," Jughead tells her sympathetically. He drains the rest of his coffee and places his mug in the sink before heading upstairs to check on Betty's progress.

"And Jughead?"

"Yeah?" He turns around to where Alice is staring at him over her glasses.

"Polly and the twins are arriving for a surprise visit this evening. I haven't told Betty yet, but I wanted to let you know so the two of you don't make any plans. I don't think they'll arrive until after you return from the hospital."

Jughead raises his eyebrows in surprise and nods. He wants to remind Alice that Betty is usually too tired to do anything after her chemotherapy treatments, but the poor woman has been struggling to keep up with the house and the Register since Hal unceremoniously abandoned his family, and Jughead doesn't want to add any more stress to her plate right now.

"Morning, Mom!"

Jughead turns around and sees Betty, dressed in black yoga pants, a loose-fitting tunic top, and a light jacket. Her wig and beanie are in place, and per usual, she looks fantastic. He even thinks she may have put on a little weight, and the thought makes him smile.

"I'm your chemo buddy today," he tells her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "That sound ok to you?"

"I suppose so," she giggles, and the sound is music to his ears.

0o0o0o0

Two hours later, Jughead sits working on his novel next to Betty, who is sitting in one of the hospital's chemotherapy chairs with a line of medication running into the port in her chest. She flips aimlessly through a magazine, biding her time until the infusion is complete. She appears restless in the chair, shifting her weight from side-to-side.

"You okay?" he asks her, glancing up from his laptop screen. "Are you going to get sick?"

"Not right now," Betty says dryly. "I make no promises for later, though. I'm fine, just ready to have this done today."

Jughead glances up at the bag, which doesn't appear to have much fluid remaining. "It should be done soon."

As soon as the words are out of his mouth, Dr. Tuemler, Betty's oncologist, walks into the chemotherapy suite. She smiles at the pair as she walks over.

"Hi, Dr. Tuemler," Betty says, sitting up straighter.

"Hi, guys," she says, sitting down in a chair next to them. "How's it going?"

"Can't complain," Betty replies. She smiles at her doctor.

"Jughead, you're not feeling lightheaded, are you?" Dr. Tuemler asks good-naturedly.

Jughead and Betty laugh, remembering the incident that occurred a month ago…

" _Okay, Betty," Dr. Tuemler tells her. "The numbing agent should have kicked in by this point. I'm going to insert the needle and drain some of your spinal fluid and then administer the chemotherapy, okay?"_

" _Okay," Betty says, her eyebrows knit together in an apprehensive expression._

 _She is laying on her right side on a raised procedure table with Jughead standing next to her, holding her hand tightly. Betty looks up at Jughead with a worried look in her eyes, and he gives her hand a reassuring squeeze. Though the doctors don't think Betty's cancer has spread to her spine and brain, they have decided to prophylactically treat it, just in case their biopsy missed any cancer cells that could then spread._

" _Inserting the needle now," Dr. Tuemler says, her voice laced with concentration._

" _Ow, ow, ow," Betty moans, squeezing her eyes shut and gritting her teeth. Her hand trembles within Jughead's._

" _You're doing great, Betty," Dr. Tuemler tells her. "Just need to drain off some spinal fluid before we put in the chemo so we don't overload your brain with fluid, okay?"_

" _Okay," Betty moans. She doesn't open her eyes._

 _Jughead frowns down at Betty. At the place he is standing, he can see the long needle protruding from Betty's spine with clear liquid draining into a small container. He watches it drip, drip, drip, and he slowly realizes how hot the room is. His forehead breaks out into a sweat and he briefly releases Betty's hand to wipe his face. Once he reopens his eyes, he sees little bursts of lights popping over the scene before him, and his peripheral vision begins to darken._

" _Hey, Dr. T?" he asks, rubbing his eyes. His voice sounds as though it is coming from the end of a long tunnel, which he finds very disconcerting._

" _Yes, Jughead?" her voice echoes._

" _I'm not feeling…"_

 _The next thing he knows, he is waking up to two nurses kneeling over him with a cold rag on his forehead. The back of his head is throbbing dully, and he feels his cheeks redden, slowly realizing what has happened._

" _Welcome back, Mr. Jones," Dr. Tuemler chuckles. "You feeling okay?"_

" _What the hell was that?" he asks groggily, rubbing the back of his head and sitting up. He looks up to the procedure table and Betty is staring down at him with an expression of both concern and amusement._

" _I think intrathecal chemotherapy was a little too disturbing for you," the doctor laughs. She shines her penlight into his eyes, checking his pupillary responses. After giving him a quick concussion screening, she helps him stand and one of the nurses hands him an icepack for the lump forming on the back of his head. "Don't worry, Betty's treatment is over and she did great."_

" _Sorry, Betts," he says, shaking his head and giving his girlfriend a grin. "Some support I was."_

" _My knight in shining armor," Betty giggles, her green eyes shining._

"I'm good today, Dr. T," Jughead says, giving her a dry smile. He shuts his laptop and reaches across for Betty's hand. "We're hoping everything looks good with the bone marrow aspiration you took last week?"

Dr. Tuemler smiles and brushes her long blonde hair from her face. "Everything looks picture perfect, Betty. Your white cell count looks good, and you're still in remission, so this will definitely be your last consolidation treatment. From here on out, we'll do your chemo on the first Monday of every month and continue to monitor you from there."

"That sounds amazing," Betty says, smiling.

"Unless you have any other questions, I think you're pretty much set," Dr. Tuemler says, smiling between the two of them. She stands up and disconnects the line of chemo from Betty's port. "You can tell your mom to call me if she has any questions of course."

"I'm sure she will," Betty laughs, giving a good-natured eye roll. She gives Jughead an almost-undetectable sideways glance before looking up at the oncologist, who is heading towards the door. "Hey, Dr. Tuemler, did you get those results I asked about you last week?"

The doctor stops in her tracks and turns around, reopening the file in her hands. "I'm sorry, Betty. I had forgotten we ran those tests."

Jughead looks between the two women, confused. Betty hadn't mentioned any added bloodwork that had been run last week. The gears in his head begin to churn, per usual, jumping to the worst scenarios possible.

Dr. Tuemler looks through several pages of her file and traces her finger along one of the sheets, reading silently. Before long she looks up, a sympathetic expression on her face. "For now, everything looks like we expected it would, I'm sorry."

Betty's face falls, and for a moment, Jughead thinks she's going to cry before she pulls herself together and nods. "Okay, thanks, Dr. Tuemler. I appreciate your effort anyway."

The oncologist gives her an encouraging, slightly sad smile and exits the oncology suite, leaving Jughead and Betty to gather their belongings and drive home.

"What extra bloodwork did you have Dr. Tuemler run?" he asks her, getting in behind the wheel of Alice's station wagon. He starts the car and pulls out of the hospital's parking lot. In the passenger seat, Betty stares silently out the window, her head pressed against the glass.

"It was nothing," she murmurs, closing her eyes. "Not anything for you to worry about."

He studies her as best he can while driving, and can't tell whether or not she's upset or simply exhausted from the chemo. Though every fiber of his being tells him that she's not okay right now, he decides to drop it for the time being.

"What do you want to do this afternoon?" he asks her, trying to steer her away from her own thoughts. "It's not every day Mr. Andrews lets me play hookey."

"I think I just want to get in bed, Jug," Betty sighs, rubbing her forehead.

Jughead reaches across the console and rubs her leg gently. "Not feeling well?"

She shakes her head and continues staring out at the dreary, rainy summer day. It had started out sunny and bright, much like their day together, but by the time they exited the hospital, a light rain had begun, and when Jughead pulls into the driveway at the Cooper's house, a steady, drenching rain is falling.

As soon as the car is in park, Betty darts out of the door and bends over, retching into the grass of the Cooper's manicured front yard.

"Shit." Jughead turns the car off and jogs over to his heaving girlfriend, moving her brown waves from the path of the vomit. He rubs her back slowly as Betty's frail frame convulses in the rain. They are no stranger to post-chemo nausea, but this is certainly the fastest it has occurred in the last couple months.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jughead sees Archie peering out his front door at the two of them, clearly on his lunch break from the construction site. He had obviously seen them pull in the driveway and come to say hello, but had stopped short after seeing Betty in her current state. Jughead gives him an apologetic half-smile and waves, as if to say he would talk to him later.

Betty straightens up slightly, seeming a little wobbly on her feet.

"You okay, babe?" he murmurs, placing his hand in the small of her back as she wipes her mouth on her sleeve.

"Yeah," she croaks, and together, they make their way into the house to dry off.

0o0o0o0

Three hours later, Jughead wakes slowly from an afternoon nap with Betty. His nose is nestled into the back of her neck, his arms wrap around her waist, and one of his legs rests between hers. Though his rare day off had turned out a little differently than expected, quiet moments like these are still among his favorites.

The first hour after arriving back at the Cooper's had predominantly been spent in Betty's bathroom. He sat, his back leaning against the bathtub, as Betty rested her head on her arm on top of the toilet, moaning as the chemotherapy drugs ravaged her system. It certainly wasn't the first occasion they had spent an extended amount of time in the bathroom together, but it was the first time in a while.

After the nausea and vomiting had subsided a bit, Jughead led Betty to her bed and she had curled up into his chest and cried. He didn't know exactly why, whether it be how terribly she felt, or for another reason entirely, but he was there for her, stroking her back and murmuring affirmations of his love to her. Moments such as these cause him to feel overwhelming surges of emotion, something that he has spent the vast majority of his life avoiding, and he feels as if he can't hold onto her tightly enough during occasions like these. The inadequacy seems suffocating at times.

Suddenly, the doorbell rings downstairs, and Alice's loud footsteps echo up to Betty's room. Betty turns over, her eyes bleary, and looks up to Jughead.

"Who do you think that is?" she asks groggily. "Mom didn't mention anyone coming over today."

Jughead groans, having forgotten about Polly's visit completely. "Don't be mad," he tells her, "but your mom decided a chemo day would be a good day to surprise you with your sister and the twins."

"What?!" Betty asks, her green eyes pleading. "And you didn't tell me?"

He holds his hands up in defense. "She surprised me with it this morning! I had no idea, and after you got so sick this afternoon, it completely slipped my mind. I'm sorry, Betts."

Betty sighs, and a slight smile tugs at her mouth. "I _am_ pretty excited to see her meet the twins though," she whispers. "Even if I do feel like death."

Just then, there's a soft knock on Betty's bedroom door, and it opens slowly. Betty and Jughead both sit up to see Polly Cooper tip toeing into the room.

"Polly!" Betty exclaims, tears already running down her cheeks. She throws her arms around her sister and they embrace, sniffles and sobs coming from both parties.

"Betty, I'm so sorry it took me this long to visit you," Polly cries into the hug. "I'm so glad you're doing okay."

"It's okay, Pol," Betty whispers, stepping back. "You're here now, and I'm so happy to see you."

"I love the brunette on you," Polly says, studying her sister. "And the beanie." Her eyes bounce to Jughead briefly and she winks at him. "It's a good look for you, Betty."

Betty glances over at Jughead and smiles. "I'm definitely ready to have my blonde ponytail back in action, but for now, this works. Pretty sure Jug's ready to have his beanie back too."

Jughead smiles at the siblings' interaction and it briefly makes him nostalgic for Jellybean. He quickly pushes that thought aside and climbs out of the bed to hug Betty's sister. "How are you, Polly?"

"I'm good, Jughead. Thank you so much for everything you've done for my mom and sister," Polly tells him. "My mom has really been singing your praises, and she doesn't compliment just anyone."

"No, she does not," Betty laughs. She glances up at Jughead, giving him a look of adoration. "He's been amazing every step of the way."

Jughead notices her face is pale, and he gives her a fleeting concerned expression. She gives him an almost-imperceptible nod and smile, telling him she's okay, and he drops it. He briefly acknowledges how well they have mastered the art of silent communication.

"Well, do you want to come downstairs and meet the twins?" Polly asks, clasping her hands in front of her excitedly.

"Of course!" Betty replies, and together, she, Jughead, and Polly walk downstairs to where Alice and the twins are in the living room.

Jughead strays behind a bit to give the Coopers a chance to mingle with the twins. He stands at the edge of the room, watching Betty kneel on the floor in front of the babies in their respective bassinets. Her eyes are full of tears, and she picks one of them up, clutching him or her (Jughead can't tell which) to her chest.

"Polly, they are so perfect," Betty whispers, tears streaming down her face.

Polly gives Betty a serene smile. "That's Dagwood that you're holding. The farm doesn't believe in pink and blue for girls and boys, so I try to keep them in gender-neutral colors."

Betty gently places Dagwood back down and picks up Juniper, holding her in her arms and gazing down at her. "I love them, Polly. So much."

Jughead smiles. He knows Betty isn't feeling her best right now, but to see her this happy despite the circumstances is incredibly rewarding for him.

Suddenly, the front door bangs open, causing everyone to jump. Jughead's hand darts to the switchblade in his pocket, ready to protect the Cooper women if necessary, but a whirlwind of scarlet hair stalks into the room and he puts away the blade.

"Cool it, Edward Scissorhands," Cheryl tells him. "I've come to meet my niece and nephew."

Toni slips into the room behind Cheryl, having closed the door behind her, and gives Jughead an apologetic shrug. He smirks at her and nods, not needing a translator.

Cheryl kneels next to Betty on the floor of the Cooper's living room, her eyes filling with tears as she gazes at the twins alongside her cousin.

"They're perfect, aren't they, Cheryl?" Betty asks her, passing Juniper into Cheryl's waiting arms.

"They're Blossoms, of course they are," the redhead replies, but the awed tone of her voice takes away from the sharp edge of the words she speaks. "Jay-Jay would have loved you so much," she whispers to the baby.

Betty picks up Dagwood and glances up to Jughead. "Do you want to hold him, Jug?" she asks, rocking the baby in her arms.

Jughead smiles. "Sure, Betts," he replies. He kneels down next to Betty and takes the bundled infant from her. He glances down at the sleeping baby and smiles. Betty leans her head against his shoulder, looking down at the new life and sighs. Craning his neck around, Jughead tries to read the expression on her face, but is unable to; something is amiss with his girlfriend, and he can't figure it out.

Over the next couple hours, Jughead, Betty, Polly, Toni, Cheryl, and Mrs. Cooper visit and play with the twins. Alice serves them dinner, and Cheryl and Toni leave around eight-thirty, thanking Mrs. Cooper for the hospitality.

"I need to get out of here," Betty whispers to Jughead as Alice walks Toni and Cheryl to the door. "Just for a little while."

Jughead gives her a questioning look, but nods when Alice walks back into the room.

"I must say, Jughead, your friend Toni has worked wonders on Cheryl Blossom. I never thought I'd say this, but she's actually pleasant to be around now."

"Hey, Mom? Jughead and I are going out for a little while," Betty tells her.

"Oh, okay, honey. Where are you going?" Alice asks, clearly thrown off by the sudden announcement.

"Just down by the river for a walk."

"As long as you feel up to it, you two have fun," Alice shrugs. "Take the station wagon just in case you get tired."

Fifteen minutes later, Betty and Jughead are walking hand-in-hand down the path that runs alongside Sweetwater River. The brief rain from earlier dried in the late-afternoon sun, and now the evening is both pleasant and cool.

"Can we stop here?" Betty asks, looking up at him.

"Sure, Betts, whatever you want to do."

The pair sits in the grass by the path, and Betty lies down, looking up at the stars above them. Jughead follows suit and admires the beauty of the night sky.

"So, do you want to tell me what's bothering you?" he asks her, turning his head to study her flawless features. Knowing Betty has been internalizing all day has given him a knot in his stomach, and he finally reaches his breaking point, unable to let it rest any longer.

Betty continues to stare at the night sky, her face giving nothing away for several long moments. Finally, she takes in a deep, steadying breath and says, "I haven't had a period in five months, Juggie."

"Oh." Jughead's thoughts cease. Any other time, this news would be alarming for a teenage couple, but he knows it's impossible for Betty to be pregnant, given the medications she's had in her system.

"Not since the night before I was diagnosed." Betty sounds monotonous, as if she isn't letting herself to attach any emotion to the conversation in self-defense. "I knew the chemotherapy had a significant risk for my reproductive organs, but I told myself it would be fine, and that everything would return to normal once I got the first month of intensive chemo out of the way, but it didn't, so I asked Dr. Tuemler to run some bloodwork to see what was going on."

"The bloodwork you asked about earlier?" Jughead inquires. Betty maintains dedicated eye contact with the night sky as he continues to study her.

"Yeah. I asked her to run some tests to see if I had any sort of reproductive function, and the tests came back negative." There are tears in her eyes now, threatening to spill down her porcelain cheeks. "According to Dr. Tuemler, it's incredibly rare for that type of function to resume once it stops entirely. So that's why I was so depressed leaving the hospital earlier."

She pauses, and Jughead sees that her lower lip is trembling. She bites down on it in an attempt to regain control. "I've been dying to meet Polly's twins, but for them to show up on the day I definitively find out that I can't have any children of my own was the cruelest coincidence possible. It was so hard, Juggie. And I don't want Polly thinking I don't love her kids, because I do." She lets out a sob, and raises her hands to her face.

"Come here, Betts," Jughead murmurs, pulling Betty into his chest as she lets go of her control. "Shh," he whispers into her hair, stroking her back. His chest constricts with emotion; seeing her this upset is absolutely gutting.

"I'm so sorry, Juggie," she cries, her narrow shoulders shaking with her sobs. "I feel like I've failed you."

His brow furrows. "Betty, don't be ridiculous. How have _you_ possibly failed _me_?"

"I can't have children, Jug. What happens when you want to have kids and I can't make that happen for you?" Betty is full-on sobbing at this point, and Jughead has to listen very carefully to understand what she's saying.

"Betty, I already told you there are other options," he tells her evenly. His heart continues to break, and he feels tears begin to pool in his eyes. "There's fostering, adoption-"

"It's not the same, Jug," Betty interrupts, sniffing loudly. "I wanted our biological kids, miniature versions of ourselves. That's what everyone dreams about when they think about their futures."

Jughead's stomach clenches. Would he like to have his own biological children? Of course. Most people would, he supposes, but it doesn't change his mind regarding the current situation.

"Betty, if you hadn't noticed, there's not much that is conventional about me," he tells her, smiling slightly. He blinks and a tear runs down his cheek. "So, having adopted kids, or foster kids, or whatever we decide, will be perfect for us. I don't see a need to conform to normal family structure."

"Tell that to my mother," Betty says, giving a reluctant giggle.

Jughead snorts with laughter. "Your mom is coming around, Betts. Slowly but surely."

Betty sniffs and wipes her face. "You've been working wonders on her, you know." She pauses. "What do you think they would have been like?"

"Who?"

"Our kids," she replies softly.

"Hmm," Jughead says, staring at the stars. He smiles. "Well, if a higher power does in fact exist, they would look like you."

Betty laughs. "You're terrible. Our children would have been lucky to look like their dad. And have his brain."

Jughead grins. This is not a conversation he ever foresaw himself having; until things began with Betty, he never thought he would find any sort of romance in this lifetime, much less the prospect of having a family of his own one day. Though terrifying in some respects, he finds the prospect is exciting. In fact, he finds himself looking forward to it.

The teenage couple, aged beyond their years by the hand they were dealt, stays beneath the stars for another hour. They discuss their future and their dreams, and when Jughead sees Betty beginning to fade, he scoops her up into his arms, looking forward to holding her all night long.

 **A/N: There's only one chapter and an epilogue left in this fic and it's so bittersweet for me. I have used every ounce of my free time on this story since January. Any and all comments are very much appreciated :-)**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I had originally planned on finishing this up with a total of 17 chapters, but this one got away from me and I had to divide it, so the fic will have a total of 18 chapters now (with ch 18 serving as an epilogue).**

 **This chapter has a bit of a language warning because Jug makes Betty mad.**

 **And finally, here, have some fluff :) things get a little heated towards the end, but I'm a wimp when it comes to writing smut so it's still very much PG-13.**

* * *

"Juggie, have you seen my headphones?" Betty calls into the kitchen, where Jughead is busy making their dinner.

It has been almost two years since their night on the banks of Sweetwater River. Betty has one more chemotherapy appointment before her final bloodwork is run, which will tell her whether or not she is officially a cancer survivor. Short of a scare about six months previously, life has been smooth sailing with regard to her diagnosis.

In fact, things have been going great for her. Betty has been accepted to the Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism at NYU, and she is set to be Valedictorian of their graduating class, barring any unforeseen circumstances. It is the night before their senior prom, and she and Jughead have chosen to stay in and conserve their energy for the next night. Though her cancer treatments are now on a monthly basis, Betty still has some issues regarding fatigue, and the next few weeks will be taxing.

"Yeah, Betts. I was using them yesterday. Check in my backpack," he calls over the sizzling of the chicken in the pan. It is fajita night, and the steam rising from the pan causes him to break out in a light sweat. He shifts his beanie and wipes his sleeve across his forehead. He hears Betty rummaging around in his backpack at the dining room table of the Cooper's house, and it stops, so he assumes that she found them.

"Did you get them?" he asks, stirring the food in the pan.

"Jug, what is this?"

He turns around to see Betty standing behind him with a battered envelope in her hand. It has the NYU insignia in the top left corner. His heart sinks.

 _Shit_.

"That," he says, sighing, "is my acceptance letter to NYU."

The envelope slowly glides to the floor as it falls from Betty's hand. Her eyes fill with tears, and she stares at him with a confused, injured expression.

"You told me you haven't heard back from NYU yet," she says quietly. Her voice has a dangerous undertone to it, and for a terrifying moment, Betty channels her inner-Alice.

Jughead sighs again. He turns off the burners to the stove and leans against the counter, crossing his arms defensively. "What was I supposed to say, Betty?"

"I don't know, Jug, maybe the _truth_?" Betty's tone is icy.

"You want the truth? Okay, Betty, sure. Here's the truth: _I can't afford to go to NYU_. I don't know why I even applied to begin with." He throws up his hands, completely frustrated. "Going off to college with you, Archie, and Veronica was always a pipe dream. People like me, with my background, don't go to college. We stay at home and work multiple jobs to scrape by. We don't move to big cities with big penthouses and rich friends to get top-of-the-line educations."

Betty is silent for a moment, taking in his harsh words. She then runs her hands through her shoulder-length blonde hair and wipes a stray tear from her cheek.

"So, what does that mean?" she whispers angrily. "We're just giving up? We never thought it would be easy, Jug, but we said we would make it work."

"Betty, there's a big difference between something being difficult and being impossible," Jughead says, unable to keep from raising his voice. "Don't you think I _want_ to go? To go to one of the world's best creative writing programs with my girlfriend and my best friends? To move the hell out of this town, even if it's just for four years?" He is shouting at this point. "You don't come from the wrong side of the tracks, Betty. You can't possibly understand where I'm coming from. I haven't been given opportunities all my life like you have."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Betty asks angrily, her tear-stricken eyes widening. "I've worked really hard to get where I am, Jug. And through cancer at that."

"I'm not saying you didn't work hard," he yells, slamming his fist down on the kitchen counter. Betty jumps back, clearly alarmed. "But your family can afford to send you to whichever school you want, even if you _didn't_ work as hard as you did. You can basically pick whichever school you want without having to worry about finances."

"What does this mean for us, Jughead?" Betty asks, fully crying now. He hasn't seen her this upset in ages, and though it would normally bother him, his temper is too far gone to be affected.

"I don't know, Betty," he snaps. "Whatever you want to do, I guess. We can try long distance, or you can go find yourself a nice city boy that can also afford to go to NYU."

Betty's face whitens and she stares at him incredulously. "A nice city boy?" she whispers disbelievingly. "Seriously, Jug? After everything we've been through together, you think I want a _nice city boy_? You know what, _fuck_ this. Get out."

He looks her up and down for a moment, trying to figure out whether or not she means it. When her expression doesn't soften, he shrugs, grabs his backpack, and walks out the door, slamming it behind him. Jughead cuts across the lawn and walks up the steps to Archie's house, letting himself in. He is instantly hit with the smell of pizza and sees the Andrews men eating in the kitchen.

"Jug," Fred says with surprise. He scoots the barstool next to him out. "Join us."

"Don't mind if I do." The eighteen-year-old drops his backpack to the floor and sits in the barstool, propping his face into his hands and sighing.

"What's up, Jug?" Archie asks, clearly concerned. "Is it Betty?"

"Yes," he replies, dropping his hands. When he sees the alarmed expressions on the Andrews' faces, he quickly adds, "She's fine. I just messed up and said some stupid stuff and now she's kicked me out of the house."

"She'll get over it. You guys never fight," Archie comments, taking a bite of the meat lover's pizza.

"We haven't in a long time," Jughead replies, thinking back to the last time he and Betty had been in a spat…

" _Dr. Tuemler called today," Betty says as soon as Jughead walks through the door to her house. She is sitting at the kitchen table, having taken the day off from school after a rough chemotherapy treatment._

" _Oh?" Jughead asks, setting his backpack on the floor. He kisses the top of Betty's head. Her blonde hair has grown out enough at this point to style it into a sleek chin-length bob._

" _She says they need to redo some of my bloodwork because I had some suspicious readings on my CBC." Betty's face is unreadable, though her eyes do appear red around the rims._

" _Okay," Jughead says slowly, pulling up the chair next to her. His stomach has started churning uneasily, but he does his best not to show it. "So, they redo the bloodwork and we'll take it from there."_

 _Betty narrows her eyes. "Don't be thick, Jughead. This means my cancer is back. We're going to have to go through all of this bullshit all over again."_

" _Betts," he says slowly, reaching out to take her hand, "let's not jump to any conclusions yet. Mistakes happen, and there's no reason to get upset-"_

" _This is a huge reason to be upset, Jughead," Betty snaps, snatching her hand away from him. "You're not the one that has to go through all of this chemo all over again. You're not the one that has to spend at least a month cooped up in the hospital. You can just walk away from all of this whenever you want. In fact, maybe you should."_

 _Jughead is stunned into silence for several seconds. "Seriously, Betty?" he asks, finally irritated with his girlfriend's rash attitude. "You think I can just walk away from this? Say 'oh, this isn't my problem' and leave? Are you kidding me, after everything we've been through?" He stands up, grabbing his backpack and walking out the front door. He knows she is speaking out of fear, but after everything they had experienced together at this point, he finds it infuriating that the thought had even occurred to her._

 _The next day, a Saturday morning, Betty had shown up at the construction site Jughead was working for Mr. Andrews with breakfast from Pop's and an apology. Thankfully, she had received a call late the night before telling her there had been an error with her blood work and that everything was fine. He had pulled her into a hug, telling her he loved her, and that had been that._

"I think I might have messed up on a bit of a larger scale," Jughead admits, pulling himself from his thoughts and taking a bite of pizza.

"Betty's a good girl, Jug, she'll come around," Mr. Andrews tells him.

"Why don't you stay here tonight?" Archie asks him. "That way we can hang out while the girls get ready for prom tomorrow."

"Yeah, I can do that," Jughead says thoughtfully. "I don't think Betty is going to be particularly receptive to me coming back over tonight anyway."

"Take it from me," Mr. Andrews says wisely, "sometimes time apart is exactly what you need."

* * *

The next morning, Jughead is woken up by vibrations from his phone. Realizing it is probably Betty, he turns over on the air mattress on the floor of Archie's room and sees an unknown number with a New York City area code. The same number had called him a couple days before, but he had ignored it. He briefly wonders whether or not to answer it this time, but finally decides to figure out who is trying to reach him.

"Hello?" he asks groggily.

"Is this Forsythe Jones the Third?" asks a female voice through the receiver.

"It is," Jughead replies, slipping out of Archie's room into the hallway.

"My name is Holly Daniels. I work on the admissions council at NYU. I apologize for calling on a Saturday, but we are putting in some crazy hours during admissions season. I tried calling you a couple days ago, but I didn't hear back."

"No, no, it's fine," Jughead tells her. "I got my acceptance letter, but I don't think I'm going to be able to attend. I would love to, but I can't afford the tuition or the living expenses unfortunately."

"Well, Mr. Jones, that's why I'm calling," Holly says. "I'm very excited to tell you that you've been granted our AnBryce Scholarship, which will fully cover the cost of your tuition for up to four years, and you have been awarded a Good Samaritan grant for your living expenses, should you wish to attend."

Jughead is stunned into silence. He leans against the wall outside of Archie's bedroom and rubs his face with his free hand. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I'm telling you that you have a free ride to NYU, Mr. Jones," the admissions counselor chuckles. "I can tell you're surprised."

"How did this all come about?" Jughead asks, completely floored. He reaches down and pinches his side to ensure this isn't a dream.

"Well, the AnBryce Scholarship is specifically for students that demonstrate financial need and are first-generation college students, which you qualify for and have been awarded," Holly tells him. "But the Good Samaritan grant came from a large number of nomination letters we received on your behalf. Our admissions office has honestly never seen anything like it; we must have gotten fifteen letters from different people around your town telling us about your girlfriend's battle with cancer, and how you stood by her every step of the way through her treatment. We were really touched by the stories we read, and it was clear that you deserve this grant so you are able to enroll with us. We want outstanding citizens such as yourself to attend our university."

"Thank you so much," Jughead says weakly. He slides to the floor, resting his face in his hands. "Who wrote these letters? I need to thank them."

"They wished to remain anonymous," Holly replies. "But know that many people around your town think the world of you, Mr. Jones. I'm going to be putting your matriculation packet in the mail, if you wish to accept the scholarship and grant, that is."

"Yes, yes. One thousand percent yes!" Jughead exclaims. Tears are burning the back of his eyes. _He was going to college._

"Do you have any other questions while I have you on the phone?" Holly asks, and Jughead can hear the smile in her voice.

"As long as you're certain this isn't some sort of mistake, I don't think so," he tells her, doing his best to keep the emotion from his voice but failing miserably.

Holly laughs. "It's definitely not a mistake, Mr. Jones. But if you don't have any more questions, I'll let you go. Feel free to call me back if you think of anything. Expect your packet sometime in the next week. Your deposit is covered by your scholarship, and you are officially in our pool of accepted students. Congratulations, Mr. Jones, and welcome to New York University."

After Jughead hangs up, he remains on the floor of the Andrews' hallway for several minutes, dumbstruck. He glances at his phone and sees that it is already noon, and he knows he has to tell Betty. It will be the perfect way to apologize for his harsh words from the night before.

Getting up, he glances into Archie's room and sees that his best friend still sprawled across his bed, snoring loudly. He grins at the image and trots down the stairs and out the front door of the Andrews' house, not concerned that he's still in pajama pants and a t-shirt. He crosses into the Cooper's front yard and lets himself in through the front door.

The downstairs of the house appears empty so he climbs the stairs, listening for its inhabitants. He knows Veronica was coming over around this time to begin prom preparations, so Betty is bound to be awake. He walks down the hallway towards Betty's room when he hears Alice's voice coming from inside.

"Now girls, it is a well-known cliché that you are supposed to lose your virginities on the night of your senior prom," Alice's voice says, and Jughead promptly halts in his tracks. "And I know you both have rooms booked at the Five Seasons tonight, but you two need to hold onto your virtue for as long as you possibly can."

"Mom!" comes Betty's voice from inside the room, and he hears Veronica doing her best to control her fit of giggles. "You let Jughead sleep here all the time. What in the world are you talking about?"

At this point, Jughead begins to back away. This would be the _worst_ possible time for him to show his face here, especially considering Betty had just thrown him under the metaphorical bus.

"Yeah, Mrs. Cooper, I think that ship has sailed for the both of us," comes Veronica's voice, still laughing hysterically. "But we appreciate your vote of confidence for our long-lost purity."

"Oh girls," Alice sighs. "Well, if I've missed the boat, so be it. But at least have the decency to use protection. You both have too much going for you to get knocked up right before college."

Jughead runs away before he can overhear any more awkward conversation coming from Betty's bedroom. His girlfriend has obviously not discussed her infertility issues with her mother, which surprises him slightly. They hadn't been using any preventative measures for quite some time now, and Betty had had her reproductive bloodwork rerun several times since the initial disappointment, and all results had remained consistent with the initial finding. According to Dr. Tuemler, as well as a second opinion from a gynecologist, their odds of conception now or in the future are essentially zero. Betty had been incredibly strong while receiving this news and had thrown herself into the college application process rather than ruminating over the disappointing test results.

Pulling himself from his thoughts, Jughead knows he still needs to apologize to his girlfriend, as well as give her the fantastic news, but now is certainly _not_ the time. He decides to go back to the Andrews' house and fill Archie in on the conversation he had just happened upon; he knows it will give his best friend a good laugh as they wait for five o'clock.

* * *

Jughead straightens his bowtie in the mirror, shifting from foot-to-foot nervously. He's texted Betty several times throughout the day, apologizing for the things he said the night before, but he hasn't heard back. He knows an in-person apology would be better, and he plans on doing so, but for the sake of keeping the awkwardness to a minimum for the festivities that evening, he wanted to go ahead and extend an olive branch. The teen glances at his phone screen, once again looking for a response from his girlfriend, and when there isn't one, he sighs and slides it into his pocket.

"Dude, it's just prom. Don't be nervous," Archie says, pulling his jacket on over his black vest.

"I'm not nervous for prom," Jughead scoffs, turning to give his friend an appraising look. "I just haven't seen Betty since she kicked me out last night. She hasn't returned any of my texts."

"She'll be fine," Archie replies easily. "I haven't heard from Ronnie today either. I'm sure they're busy getting ready."

Jughead sighs. "You're right." He glances at the clock and it reads 4:55 PM. "Should we head over there?"

"Let's do it."

The boys walk over to the Cooper's house and Archie knocks. Jughead laughs to himself; he can't remember the last time he knocked on the door here and waited to be let in. He hears shuffling from the inside of the house, and the most gorgeous woman he's ever seen opens the door.

Betty's dress is navy and strapless with a sweetheart neckline and intricate beading around the bodice that leads into a floor-length chiffon skirt. Her shoulder-length hair is styled into curls that are pinned into a loose up-do. She gives a brief smile to Archie, and then turns her gaze to Jughead, a slight frown marring her otherwise flawless face.

"Hi," he breathes.

"Hi," she replies quietly. Her face remains stoic, and Jughead's heart sinks.

"You look great, Betty. I'm going to go find Veronica," Archie says, obviously sensing the tension between his friends. He quickly slides inside and Betty steps onto the porch, closing the door behind her.

"You are so beautiful, Betty," Jughead breathes, running his hands down her upper arms. She looks up at him, giving him a soft smile, and his spirits life ever-so-slightly. "I texted you this afternoon, but I never heard back. I'm so sorry for what I said last night. It was out of line and I didn't mean a word of it."

"I know you didn't," Betty murmurs, reaching up and placing her hands on his chest. Jughead wraps his arms around her, incredibly thankful for her quick forgiveness; he really feels like he doesn't deserve her sometimes. "I saw your messages earlier, but I figured we would talk in-person tonight. It's okay, Juggie."

"You're positive?" Jughead asks, holding her at arm's length and studying her face closely. Her green eyes are extra luminous with the makeup she's wearing.

Betty smiles up at him. "Absolutely."

Jughead engulfs her in a hug. He wants to tell her the news of NYU so badly, but he doesn't want it broadcasted all over the school yet, so he opts to wait to tell her later, when they are not at risk of being overheard. He is still processing the information himself and isn't ready to share it with anyone other than Betty.

The next two hours are dedicated to taking photographs in Alice's picturesque backyard. How on earth pictures can take this much time, Jughead does not know, but his stomach is growling loudly and his mood is deteriorating by the minute. At this point, Toni and Cheryl have arrived, as well as Kevin and Moose and Josie and Reggie, and they line up in cliché prom poses while all of the parents snap photographs from various angles.

"If one more person tells me to smile, I'm going to throw their camera into the neighbor's pool," Jughead mutters into Betty's ear as they break away for individual couple's photographs.

Betty giggles and turns around, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I think you're getting a little hangry," she tells him.

"You might be right, Miss Cooper," he grins down at her. Neither of the teens notice the gazes of the other prom-goers or their parents as the cameras turn and capitalize on their candid moment. They are too absorbed in their love for one another, their earlier argument pushed aside.

After a sit-down dinner catered by the Pembrooke chefs at a banquet table set up in the Cooper's backyard, the group of high school seniors climb into the limo supplied by Mr. and Mrs. Lodge for the evening. Unbeknownst to their parents, Reggie had spiked the punch at dinner, and everyone was feeling a slight buzz. Even Jughead had indulged, overlooking his usual reservations to participate in the revelry.

He wraps his arm around Betty's shoulders and kisses the top of her head. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on," he whispers into her ear.

Betty giggles. "You're not so bad yourself," she whispers back to him. She reaches up and runs a hand through his dark hair. He had left his beanie off for this occasion, and run a comb through his locks, doing his best to style it for the night. Her touch sends tingles running down his spine, and he is tempted to skip the dance and drag her to their room at the Five Seasons once they arrive, rather than the ballroom, where the event is being held this year.

Dipping his head down, he plants a kiss on her lips, disregarding his usual aversion to public displays of affection. Betty returns the kiss, wrapping her hands around the back of his neck. This was already much better than he thought the evening would be; when Betty had initially brought up attending prom, he had begrudgingly agreed, only going because he knew she wanted to go. At that point, she had already missed out on so many other high school rites of passage that he would not allow himself to be the one to hold her back from any others.

The limo pulls up outside of the Five Seasons, and the group files out of the vehicle. Betty wraps her arm through Jughead's and together, they make their way into the hotel and follow the pulsing sound of music coming from the ballroom.

"Isn't this perfect, Juggie?" Betty asks, taking in the scenery of the ballroom. The walls had dark blue up lighting, and twinkling lights were strung from the ceiling, making the room appear as though it was under the stars.

"It's pretty wonderful, Betts," he replies, wrapping his arm around her waist as they walk through the room. Veronica and Archie have snagged them a table, and for the next hour and a half they sit around socializing and drinking the punch, which Reggie has also managed to spike.

The DJ then begins to play "Faithfully" by Journey, and Jughead sees Betty's face light up. She gives him a pleading look, and he knows he is about to be whisked away to dance.

"Okay," he says, giving her a smile, and her face splits into a wide grin. He reaches out and grabs her hand, and the two of them join their classmates on the dancefloor.

Betty wraps her arms around his neck and leans into him. They sway back and forth with the music, fully appreciating one another's company. "I know this isn't your type of thing, Juggie," she tells him, her green eyes meeting his blue. "So, thank you for indulging me."

"I occasionally conform to social norms," he replies, smiling and giving her a brief kiss. He glances around to their dancefloor companions, and everyone around them, including Archie and Veronica, are so absorbed within themselves, that he decides it's safe to give Betty his amazing news. "So, I got a phone call earlier today that you might be interested in hearing about."

Betty cocks her head to the side. "Oh?"

"Yeah, an admissions counselor at NYU." He makes sure his face doesn't reveal anything, and Betty peers up at him, her brow creasing.

"Juggie, I don't want to fight tonight," she begins, but he leans down to silence her with a brief kiss.

"I don't think this will make us fight." Jughead feels his eyes begin to burn with tears, and he decides to spit out the rest of the news before he becomes too emotional. "They called to tell me I received a full-ride scholarship, Betts. I'm going with you to NYU."

Betty gasps, clapping her hands to her mouth and she stares at him, wide-eyed. She stops dancing and remains rooted to the spot, her eyes filling with tears.

He gives her a crooked smile. "I hope that's a good reaction." A tear leaks out of the corner of his eye and he quickly brushes it off. When she gives a shocked nod, he continues. "Apparently fifteen people in Riverdale wrote to the admissions office at NYU telling them about how I stuck with you throughout your time in the hospital and all your treatments, so they gave me a Good Samaritan grant, on top of the AnBryce scholarship." He gives her a sly, sideways glance. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about those letters, would you?"

Betty blushes. "I may know about one of them," she admits, smiling through her happy tears. "But I have no clue about the others. Honestly!"

"Well, thank you," he murmurs, sweeping her into his arms once again. "Seriously, Betts. I don't know what I would do without you."

The song ends, and Betty wraps her arms tighter around Jughead's neck. "You more than deserve it, Jughead Jones." She leans into his ear. "Why don't we celebrate upstairs?" she whispers.

Jughead grins down at her. "You sure you're ready to head up? I don't want you to miss out on prom."

Betty answers by giving him a deep kiss that elicits several wolf-whistles from their table. "I think I'm ready," she says mischievously.

They say their goodbyes and ride the elevator up to their room on the third floor. Jughead is barely able to unlock the door before Betty launches herself at him, wrapping her legs around his waist. He hears the door slam shut behind them and he staggers backwards to the bed, laughing as they collapse onto the plush mattress in a heap. Betty makes quick work of the buttons on his vest and shirt, and he helps her undo his bowtie.

"I want you, Juggie," she murmurs against his lips, running her tongue across his bottom one.

Jughead groans, freeing himself from the shirt and vest. He reaches around to unzip Betty's dress and is delighted to find that she's not wearing any undergarments on the top half of her body.

Betty giggles at his obvious surprise. "The dress has a built-in bra."

"That's a great dress," he replies, cupping her with his hands and then running them down her sides to the tiny, sheer thong she's wearing. He tears his greedy gaze from her body and meets her green eyes. "Have I ever told you how gorgeous you are, Betty Cooper?"

"Tonight? Only a dozen times," she laughs. She bends down and begins to kiss along his jawline down to his collarbone and he lets out a ragged exhale. Though he is tempted to let her continue her assault, he wants to be the one to worship her tonight, and gathering her in his arms, he rolls over, pinning her underneath him. Betty lets out an excited shriek, and he kisses her fervently. Jughead explores every inch of her with his hands, and then slowly kisses his way down her body, making sure not to miss any important places.

* * *

Much later in the evening, Jughead crawls into bed next to Betty's sleeping form. He's fresh out of the shower, having worked up quite a sweat during their rendezvous in the sheets, and though the bed in their room is much larger than any bed they've shared before, no part of him desires to capitalize on the added space. He wraps his arms around her and breathes in her scent, feeling more at peace now than ever.

Tonight has been one of the best of his life. Four years ago, if anyone had told him that he would attend his senior prom, and enjoyed it at that, he would have gladly laughed in their face. He smiles into the back of his girlfriend's neck. Betty Cooper certainly has a way of bringing out unexpected joy in his life, and he vows then and there to never take that for granted.

 **A/N:** I really, really love reading your reviews, should you choose to leave one 3

Also, follow me on Tumblr at elsaunfiltered :) or on AO3 under the name elsaunfiltered


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your continued support. I promise I will get around to responding to reviews individually one day :)**

The Monday after prom is Betty's last scheduled chemotherapy treatment. She will undergo another bone marrow aspiration and one more round of blood work will be run, and she will receive what are hopefully her final results on Friday, which happens to coincide with their graduation day. At this point, exams are over, and Betty has been confirmed as the valedictorian of Riverdale High class of 2021.

"I really need to start working on my speech," Betty sighs as she sits back into the chemo chair, playing with her hair. Even with her blonde waves grown out to their usual length, she has been opting to keep them down more often, only pulling them back into a pony tail when she really needs to concentrate.

"You have four whole days," Jughead replies, looking up from the book he has been reading. "You've cranked out articles way longer than a valedictorian speech in a couple hours for the Blue and Gold. This will be nothing for you."

"It's different!" Betty insists, sighing. She hunches over and rubs her face. "All of Riverdale is going to be listening."

"Hey," Jughead says, standing up and rubbing her back. "You're going to be great, Betts. I promise. Everything is going to be perfect."

"I hate that word," Betty sighs, leaning into him from her chair. "I'm so nervous for my bone marrow and blood work results," she adds in a whisper, looking up at him with wide green eyes. "What if I'm not cancer-free? We have so many plans now, Juggie. I don't want anything to mess those up."

Jughead gently caresses the back of her neck and then squats down in front of her. "Betty, everything is going to be amazing. We have one last summer in Riverdale together, and then we move to New York in August to start the next chapter of our lives with our best friends. Nothing is going to mess with that."

Betty leans forward and plants a soft kiss on his lips. Even after all this time together, butterflies still flutter in Jughead's stomach whenever Betty's lips meet his own.

When they separate, Betty looks into his eyes with a hesitant, nervous look. "Do you think my dad will come to graduation?" she whispers.

Hal Cooper has not been in any contact with his family since he left them two years previously. The divorce has been finalized for quite some time now, and Alice ended up with both the house and the business in the settlement because she was able to prove that Hal had been cheating on her. Last anyone had heard, he was living in Greendale with another woman. The relation he had to this mysterious woman, be it plutonic or romantic, nobody knew. When Jughead had offered to send the Serpents to perform a reconnaissance mission, both Betty and Alice had said no. He had abandoned them during their hour of need, and they didn't see any reason to keep in touch, though Jughead knows Betty cares more about it than she lets on.

Jughead sighs. "I don't know, Betts," he replies quietly. He sits back in his seat and grasps her hand. "But I'll be there for you, no matter what."

"You have to be there," Betty says, allowing her face to split into a smile. The sight warms Jughead's heart. "You're graduating too."

"Betty, if you weren't giving a speech, do you honestly think I would walk at graduation?" Jughead asks dryly. "I don't need any closure with Riverdale High. I'm quite happy to be getting the hell out of there."

Betty gives him an adorable grin. "Yes, because I would have asked you to."

At that moment, Dr. Tuemler walks onto the chemotherapy treatment ward. Her blonde hair is pulled into a loose ponytail with fringe framing her narrow, tan face.

"Hi, Dr. Tuemler," Betty greets her oncologist with a smile.

"Hey, you two," the doctor says with a grin. She disconnects Betty from the chemotherapy line. "Last treatment down! Are you excited?"

"Cautiously optimistic would be the term I would use," Betty replies. Jughead can feel the tension emanating from his girlfriend and hopes that she is able to relax at least a little over the next four days before receiving her big news on Friday.

"Well," Dr. Tuemler says slowly, "don't fret over test results. This is a big week for you, and you need all the rest you can get."

"Easier said than done, Dr. T," Betty laughs.

The oncologists face splits into a grin. "I know, I know," she says. "But you just finished your last chemo treatment, and that means you finally get to ring the bell!"

Betty grins and stands from her treatment chair for the last time. Together, she and her doctor make their way over to the bell attached to the wall nearby. Jughead follows closely, readying his phone's camera. This is a moment they've been waiting on for quite some time now, and Alice had made him promise to document the moment.

Betty reaches out with trembling fingers to the rope on the bell and grasps it securely before swinging her hand from side to side and grinning at Jughead, who quickly snaps a picture. The bell emits the most triumphant sound he has ever heard.

0o0o0o0

Four days later, it is Riverdale High's graduation day. The ceremony isn't until five, but Jughead has a busy day planned. He's working a half day for Fred Andrews, going home to shower, and then arriving at the school by 4:30 dressed and ready for graduation. After the ceremony, there will be a huge graduation party at the Cooper's house that Jughead is pretty certain Alice has invited the entire town to. The thought of that many people at the place he considers home makes him uneasy, but he quickly scolds himself; as the valedictorian, today is Betty's day, and he knows she's excited for the festivities.

When Jughead glances at his watch and sees that it's one in the afternoon, his stomach begins churning uneasily. He knows that at that moment, Betty is sitting in the waiting room at the hospital for her appointment to find out whether or not she is cancer-free. He had offered to go to the appointment with her, but Betty had insisted on going with her mom, telling him he should get hours in at work while he can. This is not untrue; Jughead had made a large purchase the previous week with all of his savings from his two years of work with Andrews Construction, and he would like to re-pad his bank account before leaving for NYU.

The early June air is hot and unusually humid, and after a working from nine that morning until now without a break, Jughead lets himself into the trailer for a water bottle. Fred Andrews looks up from his desk, leaning back in his chair and giving the eighteen-year-old a nod.

"You know you didn't have to work today, Jug," he says. A smile spreads across the older man's weathered face. "I know it's a big day for you."

Jughead squints at his second father, trying to read whether or not Fred knows about his plan. He hasn't told anyone except Alice, but he wouldn't be surprised if Betty's mother told Fred about their conversation.

The teen shrugs, sitting on the couch in the airconditioned office. "Graduation isn't until five, and if I was sitting around doing nothing while Betty's at the hospital getting the news I would drive myself insane."

Fred nods understandingly. "Everything is going to be fine, Jug. You know that, right?"

"I do." Jughead nods. He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together. "But I also know that I normally have shit luck and everything's been going in my favor recently, so I'm a little suspicious," he adds quietly, looking up at Mr. Andrews.

"You make your own luck, Jug," Fred replies easily. He gets up and sits next to the teen, clapping his back gruffly. "And you have been a rock for that girl over the last two years. You deserve absolutely everything that's come your way over the last couple days, and that includes Betty beating cancer once and for all. You two have already been through more than most couples go through in a lifetime. I'm not going to say everything is always going to be easy, but you definitely have been through enough that keeps things in perspective, and perspective is everything you need to keep a relationship healthy."

"Thanks, Mr. Andrews," Jughead says quietly, giving the older man a tight smile.

"No problem, Jug. Now get back to work."

0o0o0o0

At four-thirty, Jughead enters Riverdale High dressed in khakis and a blue button down with his graduation robes draped over his arm. He enters the auditorium and his eyes scan the room for Betty; he hasn't heard from her despite multiple phone calls and texts on his part, and at this point, he is beside himself with worry. Deep down, he knows her test results will be fine, but they are much more comprehensive than any other set of tests she has had run previously, and if anything abnormal was going to pop up, it would be on these tests. He knows he won't be able to relax until he knows everything is okay.

"Hey, man," Archie says, walking up to him with Veronica on his heels. "Have you heard from Betty?"

Jughead sighs. "No, I haven't." He rubs his hand self-consciously through his hair; he has been forced to leave his beanie off due to his graduation cap and he feels particularly naked and exposed given his current level of anxiety. "I thought I would have heard from her by three, but it's been radio silence." He shifts from foot-to-foot, continuing his scan of the room.

Veronica steps forward and wraps her arm around his waist, giving him a one-armed hug. She looks up at him affectionately. "Everything's going to be fine, Jughead," she tells him. He looks down and gives her a tight smile, leaning into her embrace, but he doesn't miss the lines of worry around his friend's big brown eyes. "We're going to have an amazing summer, and then come August, Betty and I are going to be the most fabulous roommates to ever grace the city of New York, and you and Archie are going to live right down the street from us and do whatever it is that college boys do."

"Play video games and spend time with our girlfriends?" Archie asks, laughing as Veronica steps away from Jughead.

At that moment, Principal Weatherbee walks up to the three impending graduates. "Have any of you seen Ms. Cooper?" he asks them. "She was supposed to be here thirty minutes ago."

Jughead glances at his phone to check the time, and his stomach lurches at the background image of Betty ringing the chemotherapy bell. It's now 4:50, time for them to line up outside the gym to file in. He quickly throws his gown over his outfit and places the flat hat on his head. "We haven't," he says uneasily, though as he says it, he sees Betty rush into the gymnasium with Alice right behind her. She appears flustered and quickly rushes over to the principal.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Principal Weatherbee, I got held up at the hospital," Betty explains hurriedly, pulling her graduation gown over her fitted white dress. "I'll be ready to go in ten minutes."

Jughead reads his girlfriend carefully. She looks frazzled, and he sees that her eyes have almost-indiscernible red rims around them. Her green irises radiate tension, and she doesn't look in Jughead's direction.

 _Shit._

"That's okay, Ms. Cooper," the older man returns. "As long as you're here now."

The principal leads her away from the group toward the stage, and Jughead shoots a panicked look to Archie and Veronica. "That didn't look good, did it?" he asks his friends. He feels as though he might vomit.

"No, it didn't," Archie replies grimly.

At that moment, school officials usher all of the students into the hallway and they get ready to enter the large room for their graduation ceremony. They enter in a single-file line and sit in their designated seats, hearing applause from the spectators. Alphabetically, Jughead is separated from both Archie and Veronica, and he has to sit still while fighting back waves of nausea. He looks down at his hands and realizes they're trembling uncontrollably.

Up at the podium, Principal Weatherbee is welcoming the graduates and their guests, but Jughead doesn't hear a word he says. Instead, he stares at the pretty blonde that is seated behind the podium with laser-like focus, not missing the fact that her palms are clenched into fists. He wills her to glance in his direction, to give him a smile or _anything_ that calms his nerves in the slightest, but she continues to watch the principal with polite interest.

"And without further ado, here is our valedictorian, Elizabeth Cooper!" he hears the principal tell the crowd.

The room applauds loudly as Betty makes her way to the podium. She glances nervously around the room before taking a deep breath. Jughead's heart is beating rapidly in his chest, and he wonders how he is supposed to survive until after the ceremony.

"Hello, Riverdale class of 2021," Betty says, smiling at her classmates as they cheer. "I would like to thank Principal Weatherbee for allowing me to speak today. This has been a wild ride, and there's nowhere else I would rather be."

Jughead listens to Betty's words intently, looking for any silent signs of her news, but he can't read into anything she says. Betty goes on to give a recap of the last four years of Riverdale High's student body, ranging from athletic, music, and academic awards achieved by various students, to pop culture references that occurred during their tenure at the school. The speech is well-written and eloquent, like everything Betty writes, and though he's beside himself with worry, Jughead feels pride swell in his chest. His girlfriend is incredible.

Betty speaks for ten more minutes before coming to the end of her speech.

"Throughout all of our accomplishments, I believe the most amazing aspect of this class is its resilience," Betty says into the microphone. Her eyes sweep through the crowd. "Each and every one of you has overcome obstacles throughout your time at Riverdale High, and we are all better people for it. Veronica, you came into this small town and thrived despite a bad reputation and not knowing a soul. Ethel, you stood up for yourself throughout repeated bullying and never let it get you down. Cheryl, you suffered through one of the greatest losses possible and still managed to flourish. Southside Serpents, you all came into territory where nobody made you feel welcome, and still managed to prevail make something of yourselves."

Betty pauses and takes in a shuttering breath, and Jughead's heart begins to race again. The silence in the room is deafening.

"And I," Betty says, her voice choked with emotion. She stifles a sob and wipes a stray tear from her face and looks directly at Jughead for the first time. He can feel the electric connection between her green eyes and his blue, and suddenly, everything is okay. "Today, I found out that I beat cancer."

There is a short pause throughout the gymnasium, and then it erupts into thunderous applause. People are yelling and cheering, and everyone is on their feet. Everyone except Jughead, who sits in stunned silence with silent tears spilling down his cheeks.

 _She did it. She beat cancer._

Kevin reaches over and pulls Jughead to his feet, engulfing him in a giant hug. Arms are reaching for him from every direction, pulling him into hugs and telling him congratulations. He is too stunned to respond, doing his best to contain his overwhelming emotion. _It was all over. She did it. They did it._

After a couple minutes, the crowd settles down and allows Betty to finish her speech.

"Thank you all so much. You are all incredible, and I am so proud to call you my classmates. I wish the best of luck to everyone in the future. You all deserve the world," she says, relinquishing the mic to Principal Weatherbee.

At this point in the program, students begin walking across the stage and receiving their diplomas. Betty receives hers first and returns to her seat on the stage and then the rest of the student body begins filing across. As their names are called, all of their classmates walk past Betty on their way to shake their principal's hand, and many of them go out of their way to hug her while they are on the stage. Jughead shifts anxiously from foot-to-foot. This ceremony can't be over soon enough.

"Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Third," calls Principal Weatherbee.

Jughead steps onto the stage, not bothering to wince at the unnecessary use of his legal name. He strides across the stage, Betty coming closer with every step. He knows he should remain professional, but the closer he gets to his girlfriend, the more he realizes that it isn't even close to a possibility. Betty seems to realize this too, for she stands when he gets within a couple feet. Ignoring the hundreds of eyes watching, Jughead wraps his arms around her and lifts her into his arms, spinning her around and planting the biggest kiss he's ever given her on her lips. He tries to keep it brief, ignoring the crowd erupting around them, as he looks into her beautiful, tear-filled eyes.

"I love you, Betty Cooper," he murmurs.

"I love you too, Jughead Jones," she whispers, stepping back and allowing him to finish his trek across the stage.

"Sorry, Principal Weatherbee," he says hastily once reaching the principal. He expects some sort of reprimand while shaking the older man's hand, but he is embarrassed to see tears in the principal's eyes.

"No worries, Mr. Jones," Weatherbee replies gruffly. "Extenuating circumstances. Congratulations, son. And best of luck to you and Ms. Cooper."

0o0o0o0

After the ceremony ends, the graduates and their guests file out onto the school's lawn. Jughead looks around, scanning for Betty, but it is hard to discern anyone in the sea of blue graduation gowns. However, a startlingly green set of eyes eventually catch his, and he rushes up to her. Betty jumps into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and engulfing him into a colossal embrace. People around them wolf whistle, but they don't hear them. They're their own island in a sea of stars; in this moment, nothing matters except for them.

"I'm sorry I didn't have time to tell you beforehand," Betty whispers into his ear. She has her head nestled into his neck, and he doesn't think he'll ever put her down. "My mom and I got caught up thanking the hospital staff and we got really behind schedule. For a minute I thought we were going to be late for the ceremony and I was completely panicked."

"It's okay," Jughead whispers back, reveling in the feeling of his girlfriend wrapped around him. _His cancer-free girlfriend._ Tears are leaking down his face into Betty's hair, and he feels her tears soaking through the collar of his shirt. "I love you more than life, Betts. You did it. I knew you could."

"I love you too, Juggie," she returns, and for a moment, they bask in the feel of one another, ignoring the calamity around them.

Before long, two more pairs of arms wrap around them, and Jughead opens his eyes to see that Archie and Veronica have joined them. They also have tears streaming down their faces, and the four friends smile and cry with one another for a few minutes before eventually straightening up and rejoining reality.

Jughead looks around and sees his father standing next to Alice. There are tears in both of their eyes, and FP pulls Jughead into a hug. "Congratulations, boy," he whispers to his son.

"Thanks, Dad," Jughead sniffs. After a moment, he straightens up and turns to hug Alice too.

"Thank you," she whispers to him. "For everything, Jughead. You kept us both sane through everything we've been through in the last two-and-a-half years. We owe everything to you."

"It was nothing," he replies, shaking his head. "She would have done the same for me."

He looks around to where Betty is speaking with and hugging her classmates. His heart swells with pride, and though he wants her all to himself, he knows it's important that she has this time with their friends. There will be plenty of opportunities later for them to spend time alone together.

0o0o0o0

That night, what seems like all of Riverdale has packed itself into the Cooper household. Jughead weaves in and out of people, socializing as he goes. He pulls his beanie down further onto his head, shielding himself from the tightness in his chest that began when the first guests arrived. Under normal circumstances, the thought of a graduation party is stressful to him, but under these, it is nearly debilitating.

He moves through the backdoor into the backyard and his first breath of fresh air calms his nerves ever-so-slightly. He spots Betty talking with Veronica, Cheryl, and Toni on one side of the deck while Archie and some of his football teammates talk out in the yard. Music is playing over speakers, and Fred and his father are grilling hotdogs and hamburgers on the far side of the deck. Mrs. Cooper, Dr. Tuemler, and a few of Betty's oncology nurses are inside the backdoor, talking and sipping cosmopolitans with one another. Per usual, Alice Cooper has pulled off the perfect gettogether; everyone appears to be having a great time.

Jughead tucks his hands into his pockets carefully, feeling around for the precious cargo. He knows he won't be able to relax until after he checks the final task off of his to do list for the day, but he finds himself overwhelmed by the large number of people in attendance.

As he looks out over the festivities, a pair of arms snakes around his waist and holds him tightly from behind. He feels a kiss through his shirt on his left shoulder blade and he turns around to see Betty smiling up at him. She's still wearing her white dress from earlier, though she has had to touch up her makeup several times that day due to the plethora of happy tears.

"Hey there, Juliet," he murmurs, bending down to place a chaste kiss on her lips.

"You look stressed," Betty tells him, running her hands up and down his arms. "You should relax and enjoy yourself a bit."

Jughead has to stop the high-pitched laugh threatening to escape him. His mouth is completely void of moisture and he can feel himself breaking out into a nervous sweat, but as he looks into his girlfriend's peridot green eyes, a sense of calm overcomes him. When he's with her, the world around them is simply white noise.

He gives her a knowing smile. "I'm working on it. Are you having fun?"

Betty's smile is radiant. "So much fun. This is the best day of my life, Juggie. Nothing else could possibly make it any better."

Upon hearing her words, Jughead knows this is his moment. He takes a deep, shuttering breath and quickly pulls the small velvet box from his pocket, getting down on one knee. The yard around them goes quiet, but Jughead doesn't notice. His blue eyes keep unwavering eye contact with Betty's, which are now wide with shock. She seems rooted to the spot.

"Betty," he says, his heart hammering uncontrollably against his sternum. "We've been through hell and back over these last two years. More than anyone our age should ever have to go through, but it has made our love for one another impossibly strong. I know for a fact that you're the one for me, and I hope that I've proven that I'm the one for you. I know we're young, but we've experienced more during our time together than most couples experience in a lifetime. We don't have to rush into anything anytime soon, but I wanted today to mark a new chapter in our story; a new beginning for the two of us now that you're a cancer survivor. Betty Cooper, I love you so very much. Will you marry me?"

He opens the velvet box with shaking hands and exposes the beautiful solitaire diamond ring he had purchased the week before. The ring is simple, elegant, and classic, just like Betty.

Jughead looks up to her and sees tears streaming down her cheeks. She has covered her mouth with both of her hands and she still seems rooted to the spot in shock. He smiles and cocks his head to one side, imploring her for an answer.

"Yes," she whispers, removing her hands from her face. "Yes, of course, one hundred percent yes!"

Jughead stands up just in time for Betty to fling her arms around him, and he holds her as she sobs into his shoulder. Everyone around them has burst into cheers, and there doesn't appear to be a dry eye in sight. Jughead slips the ring onto Betty's left ring finger, and it fits perfectly. She stares down at it in complete shock, in awe.

"Now I can relax," he murmurs into her ear, a broad grin spreading across his face.

Betty lets out a choked giggle, and is promptly tackled by a sobbing Veronica Lodge, who lifts Betty's hand, examining the ring.

"Holy shit, Jughead," she says, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "How much did you drop on this thing?"

"Enough," he replies, laughing. Jughead feels a hand clap on his shoulder and he turns around to see FP and Fred Andrews behind him.

"Congratulations, son," FP says, pulling him into a tight hug. "I was hoping you'd put a ring on that girl. She's something else."

"I know she is, Dad." Jughead hugs Fred tightly as well, and then Archie.

"Dude, why didn't you tell me?" Archie implores, wiping a stray tear from the corner of his eye.

"I'm sorry, Arch," Jughead replies, "but if I told too many people ahead of time, something would have gone awry."

"I guess this explains why you've been working such ridiculous hours," the redhead says slowly, as if all of the dots are finally connecting. At this point, Veronica has finished examining the ring and has wrapped her arm around her boyfriend's waist.

"Yeah," Jughead laughs. "And now I'm going to keep working ridiculous hours until we leave for school." He turns around to see Betty and Alice hugging one another, both crying happy tears.

He knows that his girlfriend- scratch that- fiancé hates the word 'perfect', but as Jughead is surrounded by his family and closest friends on the deck that evening, there is no better word to describe his day.

0o0o0o0

Later that night, Jughead is reading in bed when Betty finally walks into the room. She looks completely spent and sighs as she falls onto her mattress, not bothering to take off her dress.

"You tired, Betts?" he laughs, reaching over to stroke her blonde hair.

"Tired is an understatement," Betty mumbles, a smile curving her lips. She has not stopped smiling all evening, and Jughead finds himself thinking that it's a wonderful look for her. "I don't think our parents were ready to stop partying yet. They just left for the White Wyrm. I tried to start on the mess downstairs but it's going to have to wait until tomorrow."

Jughead lays his book down and swings his legs over the side of the bed in search of Betty's pajamas. "You shouldn't have been cleaning at all. Today is your day."

"You keep saying that," Betty says, cocking an eyebrow and sitting up, "but today feels like _our_ day, Juggie."

Jughead smiles at her, grabbing her a t-shirt and pajama shorts out of her dresser. He walks over to her, lifting her left hand into his and examining the sparkling ring on her finger.

"You might be right, Betts," he tells her, leaning in to plant a soft kiss on her lips.

Betty wraps her arms around his waist and deepens the kiss, moaning against Jughead's mouth. She pulls him down on top of her and wraps her legs around his waist.

"I thought you said you were exhausted," Jughead groans, kissing down her jawline and neck. He runs his hands up her legs and underneath her dress, stroking the insides of her thighs and causing her to squirm beneath him.

"I've suddenly found a little more energy," Betty gasps as Jughead's fingers slip underneath her thong.

She reaches up and pulls his t-shirt over his head, and as she sits up, she allows Jughead quickly unzip the back of her dress. He makes quick work of the clasp of her bra, and a couple moments later, they are both naked, entwined in one another's arms under Betty's comforter.

"I love you, Betty," Jughead tells her, running his hands over her soft skin. He leans down and kisses her deeply, groaning as his fiancé's tongue meets his own. "Thank you so much for saying yes."

0o0o0o0

Much later that evening, Jughead runs his fingers up and down Betty's naked back. She's fast asleep, her breathing deep and even. He normally would have woken her up to redress, but instead, he locked her bedroom door. If Alice has a problem with that, he will simply deal with it in the morning.

The moonlight shines in through the bedroom window, casting long shadows of tree limbs against Betty's pastel bedroom walls. The pale skin of her back is illuminated, and he is mesmerized by the vision. Jughead can't believe his luck; today, Betty Cooper beat cancer and agreed to be his wife. Only one of the two occurrences would be grounds for the best day of his life, but both happening on one day is borderline overwhelming in the best way possible.

Jughead sighs, running his hand through Betty's blonde waves. They have certainly been through an exhausting two years together, but as he told her earlier, today is a new beginning. In fact, today happens to be the first day of the rest of their lives together, and for the first time in his life, Jughead is optimistic and excited for the future.

 **A/N: I'll hopefully have the epilogue posted this week, and Darkest Hour will be complete! Thank you all again. You're all amazing! 3**


	18. Epilogue

**A/N: Thank you all SO much for all of your support over the course of this story! I enjoyed writing it so, so much, and I'm so glad I got to share it with such a wonderful audience. I *may* write a coda or two in this universe- haven't decided yet- but, for now, it is coming to a close. Thank you all again for being so amazing :) I hope you enjoy the epilogue.**

 _Ten Years Later…_

Jughead enters through the doors of the Riverdale Register, flipping through the mail that he holds in his hand. It's all junk, and he throws it into the recycling bin without second thought. He settles behind his desk, firing up his laptop and scanning through any emails that may be pertinent for work.

For the last three years, Jughead and Betty have run the Riverdale Register together. They had gotten married straight after graduating from NYU and had remained in New York for three years, working for various publications around the big city. However, their time in the Big Apple had taught them that, though Riverdale has its issues, home is where the heart is, and when Alice retired from running the Register, they had moved home to take over the business.

There are no important emails in his inbox, and he clicks around aimlessly on the internet for a few minutes. It's Saturday morning, so there really isn't any work to be done that can't wait until Monday. He had simply been in the neighborhood running errands and had decided to stop by while Betty sleeps in. His stomach growls slightly, and he begins contemplating going to Pop's for breakfast while he's on this side of town.

Jughead's phone begins ringing in his pocket and he glances at the vaguely familiar number on the screen. Frowning and trying to remember whose number it is, he answers.

"Hello?"

"Hi, I'm looking for Elizabeth or Forsythe Jones?" comes a female voice over the line.

"Speaking," Jughead says, cocking an eyebrow. He stands up and begins to pace the office, running a hand through his dark hair.

"Hi, Mr. Jones, this is Samantha Daily, with the New York State Adoption Service," she says.

Jughead stops in his tracks, his stomach lurching. Before getting too excited, he forces himself to remain calm. This isn't the first time their adoption agency had contacted them. They had been involved in several potential adoptions over the last two years, but they had all fallen through at the last minute, with the biological parents changing their minds after the births of the babies. It had been gut-wrenching each time, and while he had been sorely disappointed, Betty had been devastated.

"Hey, Samantha. Call me Jughead, remember? What's going on?" he asks, taking a deep breath.

"Well, Jughead, we've had a little girl born in Utica this morning whose biological parents have forfeited their rights," the social worker tells him. He can hear the smile in her voice. "You and your wife are at the top of our waiting list of potential adoptive parents, so I wanted to give you a call."

Jughead sits on the corner of his desk, rubbing his face with his free hand. He wants more than anything for this to work out, but after being burned several times, he's finding it difficult to allow himself to become too excited. "That sounds great, Samantha," he tells her, "but my wife and I have been led on several times after you guys have called us about potential children and it hasn't worked out yet. I'm not trying to sound callous, but I don't think my wife can take any more disappointment."

"That's totally understandable," Samantha returns evenly. "But, I will say, this little girl is already born, and her parents have already signed over their rights to the state. If you and Elizabeth would like to meet her and you think she's a good match, she's yours."

At this point, Jughead is unable to mask his excitement; his heart begins beating rapidly in his chest, and any trace of hunger he had before is now gone. He takes in a deep breath and lets it out slowly, allowing a smile to stretch across his face. "Okay," he says, more to himself than Samantha. "Okay. Well, what can you tell me about her?"

"Well, her parents are high school students that aren't capable of providing for her," the social worker returns. "All of the mother's prenatal drug screens were negative, and they're both really smart, nice kids. They just know they can't provide the life for their daughter that she deserves, and they requested that she went 'the perfect parents', and according to my records, that's you and your wife."

"And there's no chance of the biological parents backing out?" he asks adamantly.

"Absolutely none. Like I said, the parents have already revoked their rights, and you guys have the first right of refusal."

Jughead's hands tremble as he picks up the keys to his bike. "Let me run home and talk to my wife," he says shakily. This is the call that he and Betty have been waiting on for _years_. He knew it would happen one day, but the thought of finally happening now is incredible. "I'm sure we can be on the road within the hour to come meet her and bring her home. What documents do we need to bring?"

Samantha fills him in on all of the required documentation, and Jughead is pretty certain that Betty already has a file ready to go with all of it inside. They had been through this enough times at this point to be thoroughly prepared. There is even a car seat in their garage begging to be used.

"Thank you so much, Samantha," he tells her, his voice wavering as he swings his leg over his motorcycle. "I can't wait to meet her. We'll see you in a few hours."

"You're welcome, Mr. Jones. This is my favorite type of phone call to make," the social worker returns. Her voice easily conveys her smile again. "Congratulations."

Jughead cranks his bike and pulls out onto the quiet downtown Riverdale street. He drives slowly, allowing himself to figure out how to tell Betty the amazing news. She's seemed particularly rundown and sad recently. In fact, he doesn't know if she has fully recovered from their last adoption disappointment six months previously.

Their entire road to eventually becoming parents has been difficult to say the least. Three failed adoptions attempts had only been the tip of the iceberg. Despite the repeated test results from Betty's gynecologist, they had tried valiantly to have a biological child of their own.

After Alice had been badgering them for grandchildren for a couple years after their wedding, Betty had finally broken down and told her that the chemotherapy had wiped out any chances of them having biological children, and in typical Alice fashion, refusing to take no for an answer, Mrs. Cooper had financed three rounds of in vitro fertilization for them.

The day that the third and final round of in vitro failed happened to be the same day that Archie and Veronica had invited them over for dinner at the Pembrooke. Jughead thinks back on that day, remembering it vividly…

" _Hey, Betts, I'm home," he calls, walking through the door to their home. It is a modestly-sized two story house with four bedrooms and three bathrooms, located just far enough outside of Riverdale that it keeps Alice Cooper from barging in whenever she desires._

 _When Betty doesn't answer, he places his keys on the table in the foyer and walks into the living room where his wife is lying on the couch with a vacant expression on her face. The television is on, but it is muted, scenes of whatever is playing flickering before his wife's eyes._

" _Hey, babe," he says, sitting on the edge of the couch cushion. "You feeling okay? We're supposed to leave for Archie and Veronica's in half an hour."_

 _Betty stares up at him, blinking slowly, her green eyes dull and glazed.. She clears her throat slightly before whispering, "I got my period today."_

 _Jughead feels his body deflate and does his best to hide it from his wife. He knows that they didn't have high expectations for the procedure to work, but they had both remained hopeful, and for the final treatment to have failed is a crushing blow._

" _Oh, I'm so sorry, Betty," he whispers, pulling his wife into his arms._

 _Betty's face crumples and she tucks her head into his chest, letting her sobs take over her small frame. Jughead can feel her tears soaking through his t-shirt, and he rubs Betty's back as she releases her pent-up emotion._

" _You're not the one who should be sorry, Juggie," she sobs. "I'm the one that's preventing us from having children."_

" _Don't say that," Jughead tells her forcefully, holding her at arm's length. "We're in this together, Betty. We'll start registering for the adoption process, okay? Please don't blame yourself."_

 _Betty sniffs, appearing resigned. "Okay," she says, after a while. She glances up at Jughead, her peridot eyes still full of tears. "I'll get ready for dinner."_

" _I'll call Archie and tell him we can't make it," Jughead says. He knows Archie and Veronica won't let them out easily; they still do not know of the fertility struggles they've been having, so without any context, bailing on dinner this last minute is not ideal. Whenever their friends ask about when Betty and Jughead will start having children, Betty deflects the question or changes the subject. Jughead doesn't want to rush her, this is as much her business as it is his, and as long as she is uncomfortable talking about it with their friends, he supports her._

 _Betty stands up, her legs trembling beneath her slightly. "No, no. I talked to Veronica earlier and she sounded really excited to have us over. I'll be okay, Jug." She glances down at him sadly. "After all, this isn't the first time this has happened."_

 _Half an hour later, Jughead is behind the wheel of Betty's SUV driving to the Pembrooke. Betty is still quiet and brooding in the passenger seat, but outwardly, she appears composed. Jughead hopes that he looks just as put-together as his wife; while Betty had been in the shower, he had succumbed to his own emotions and cried over their final in vitro failure. His heart is broken for his wife, who has always wanted children, as well as for himself, who now also desperately wants to be a father._

" _Hi, you two!" Veronica exclaims, opening the door to their penthouse. After graduating NYU, Archie had proposed to Veronica and they had moved into her parents' old apartment in the Pembrooke when Mr. and Mrs. Lodge had retired to Florida. They had been married for a little less than a year at this point, with Archie running his father's construction company as well as teaching guitar lessons and Veronica running a small non-profit._

" _Hey, V," Betty grins, hugging her best friend. "Thanks for having us over for dinner."_

 _Jughead gives Veronica a quick hug and nods to Archie, who has walked up behind his wife._

" _But of course," Veronica replies, leading them over to the dinner table, where the food is waiting for them. "The chef downstairs was a little hasty with his preparations, but I promise it's only been sitting here a couple minutes."_

" _That's totally fine," Betty tells her, following her to the large dining room table. Jughead follows her closely, resting his hand in the small of her back._

 _Once seated around the table, Veronica pours her guests glasses of wine and sits in her chair. Archie reaches over and holds her hand on top of the table, stroking it with his thumb affectionately._

" _Now, before we dig in, Archie and I have some wonderful news to share with you," Veronica says, smiling fondly over at her husband._

' _Oh no,' Jughead finds himself thinking. 'Please, please no.'_

" _It's a little bit of a surprise for us," Veronica continues, "but we are so excited. Archie and I are going to have a baby!"_

 _Never in his life has Jughead wanted to go die in a hole quite so badly. His attention immediately snaps to Betty, whose eyes are wide and lips are twisted into an almost-painful smile._

" _Wow. That's fantastic news, V," Betty whispers, standing up. Jughead can see tears glinting in her eyes. "I have to go to the bathroom. Please excuse me."_

 _And with that, the blonde whisks herself away to the nearest restroom, leaving Jughead at the table with their very confused friends._

" _What's her problem, man?" Archie asks, both hurt and anger evident in her voice. For once in her life, Veronica appears completely speechless, her mouth slightly agape and tears gathering in her eyes._

 _Jughead sighs and scoots down in his chair. He knows he needs to go tend to Betty, but he also realizes that he owes his friends an explanation. This is probably the most exciting time in their lives, and he certainly doesn't want to put a damper on it._

" _Guys, I'm so excited for you, and I know Betty is too. But there's something you both need to know, and to be honest, we should have told you guys a while back." He pauses, letting out a deep sigh. "Betty can't have kids," he says quietly, annoyed with himself when he feels tears pooling in his eyes. "The chemotherapy she had when she had cancer wiped out her reproductive system completely. We've been trying really hard since right before we even started college, but no such luck."_

 _He looks up to see horrified expressions on both of his friends' faces. Veronica has tears trickling down her cheeks, and Archie simply looks stunned._

" _And she would normally be overjoyed for you guys, I'm sure," he continues, "but she had her final in vitro attempt two weeks ago, and we just found out today that it failed."_

 _With that, Veronica lets out a choked sob, covering her face with her hands. Archie continues to look dumbstruck, stroking his wife's back lightly._

" _I'm so sorry, Jug," Veronica cries. "God, Archie, we're so insensitive."_

" _Stop, there was no way for you to know," Jughead tells her quickly, shaking his head. He gives them a guilty grin. "I'm sorry we didn't have a better response. It's amazing that you guys are going to be parents. I'm really happy for you two. Seriously." He stands up to go check on Betty, but Veronica stops him._

" _I'll go talk to her, Jughead," she whispers, wiping her cheeks and standing from the table. "I want to talk to her girl-to-girl."_

" _Be my guest," he says, and with that, she leaves him and Archie at the table with their increasingly cold dinner._

Jughead shakes his head, pulling himself from his thoughts as he guides his motorcycle into his driveway. Archie and Veronica's daughter, Carrington, is almost four years old now, and their son, Hunter, is almost one. Betty loves the Andrews children as if they're her own, but Jughead knows that she wants nothing more than to have kids of her own. _And now, that's about to happen._

Jughead trots up the front steps to their house and enters into the foyer. Betty is standing in the kitchen, a glass of water in her hands, obviously waiting for him to get home.

"Betts," he says to her, grinning widely. "I have some amazing news for you."

Betty smiles at him. "You're not the only one, Jug." She looks radiant, and Jughead realizes the adoption agency must have called her while he was driving home.

"You talked to the adoption agency?" he asks excitedly, rubbing his hands up and down her upper arms.

Betty looks at him, confused. "Adoption agency?"

"Yeah, Betts. Samantha from the adoption agency just called. We have a baby! She's a girl, just born this morning. Her parents have already waived their rights. All we have to do is drive to Utica to sign paperwork and pick up our little girl." _Our little girl_.

Betty stares at him, stunned. Her face splits into a wide grin and tears appear in her eyes. "Really? We can pick her up today?" She begins bouncing from foot-to-foot. "I need to get dressed then. And do you know where my file of important documents is?" His wife begins looking around the room frantically, and Jughead can practically see the gears churning in her head.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down, Betts," Jughead says, placing his hands on her shoulders. "We've got time. I already made Samantha guarantee me that she's ours and that no more debacles would happen, so it's no rush. Now, what was it you wanted to tell me?"

Betty looks up at him, her eyes wide. A few tears leak down her face, and for a moment, Jughead thinks she's upset until her mouth splits into a huge grin. "I'm pregnant, Juggie."

 _Fin._


	19. Coda: Parenthood

**Thank you all again for your unyielding support for Darkest Hour. I appreciated all of your kind words, and I really appreciate all of the anonymous readers on Tumblr begging me for a coda. I wasn't planning on writing one so soon, but the hype really inspired me and I am very grateful! 3**

Jughead jerks awake as he feels his mattress dip down and quickly spring back up. Blearily, he glances at the clock and reads that it's 4:06 in the morning, approximately two hours since he last looked at the harshly glowing red numbers. He hears a rapid shuffling of feet and is then blinded by the light to his and Betty's bathroom as his wife hurries into it. The sound of retching comes from the illuminated room and he sighs, swinging his legs out of bed.

Jughead quickly crosses their bedroom and enters the bathroom, sitting on the edge of the tub and rubbing his heaving wife's back gently. Luckily, her hair is already in a knot on the top of her head (out of habit at this point, he supposes), and once her small frame finishes lurching the contents of her stomach into the toilet, she lets out a small sob and turns to rest her face in his lap.

"Shh," he murmurs, stroking her head gently. "It's okay, Betts." As he sits on the edge of the tub, he feels his eyes begin to cross; in the last two months, he doesn't remember a time when he got more than two or three consecutive hours of sleep, and he's absolutely certain Betty hasn't. Having a colicky newborn is bad enough without dealing with the side effects of the first trimester, and unfortunately for his wife, her pregnancy has been ruthless thus far.

Betty takes several deep breaths and peers up at Jughead, her green eyes pleading. "I thought this was supposed to stop at fourteen weeks," she moans, doubling over slightly.

"Me too, love," Jughead replies quietly, continuing to stroke her hair, "but you have a few days left until you're officially fourteen weeks, so maybe it'll take a little longer."

Betty heaves a great sigh and nods. She remains on the bathroom floor for a moment, obviously weighing whether or not she's finished vomiting, and once she concludes that she is, she stands up shakily, using Jughead's legs as support.

Jughead wraps his arm around his wife's waist, and after she brushes her teeth, he slowly leads her back to bed. She sighs, dropping onto the mattress heavily, and curls up into a tight ball, hugging her midsection.

Crawling back into bed, Jughead climbs across the king-sized mattress and wraps his arms around Betty. She has been so strong through the last two months; though parenthood has been everything they wanted and more, it has not been without its struggles.

Betty's camisole has slipped up a bit, exposing her slightly-rounded abdomen, and Jughead runs his fingers across the soft skin.

"And I thought chemo nausea was bad," Betty grumbles sleepily, leaning back to Jughead's embrace.

"You're superwoman, Betts," Jughead murmurs into the back of her neck. "Just think, six months from now, we're going to have two beautiful children when we didn't think we'd be able to have any."

"You're right," his wife replies, sighing happily. "It's all about perspective. I can't wait."

Jughead closes his eyes, continuing to stroke Betty's growing belly. He knows she's already becoming self-conscious about the bump, especially considering that only the two of them know she's pregnant for now, but he can't get enough of it. The prospect of their second child growing as they simply lay there is incredible to him.

Eventually, Betty's breathing becomes slow and rhythmic and Jughead's eyes become heavy, and still curled around his wife, he slowly drifts off to sleep…

…until a screeching wail sounds over the baby monitor.

Once again, blue and green eyes snap awake.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," Betty says miserably. It sounds like she's on the verge of tears again, and Jughead knows that he has to intervene for the sake of his wife's sanity.

"I've got it this time, Betts," Jughead tells her, jumping out of bed before giving his wife the option of getting up. He blearily walks down the hall to his daughter's room, following the sound of the crying. He has to admit, for such a small body, she's got an impressive set of lungs.

"Hey, pretty girl," he says, bending over the side of the crib and pulling the crying infant into his arms. "What's going on, you hungry?"

Equipped with the screaming baby, Jughead walks down the hallway to the fridge and is thrilled to see Betty already has formula mixed and in bottles waiting to be placed in the warmer.

"Your mom's the best, you know that?" he asks the small, brown-haired, blue eyed baby. He knows that all babies are born with blue eyes, but hers are such a striking color that he wonders whether or not hers will remain that way even after she reaches six months of age.

As he waits on the bottle warmer, he slowly rocks Samantha in his arms, murmuring to her, and the baby girl slowly but surely begins to quiet down. She still seems upset, more than likely the product of an empty stomach, but the attention she's receiving seems to have calmed her a bit.

The warmer dings, and Jughead grabs the bottle and takes it and the baby back to her room to feed her in the rocking chair, which was custom made for Samantha by Fred Andrews within a week of her homecoming. Jughead leans back in the chair, rocking quietly while his daughter devours her bottle. He stares down at her as she feeds, her blue eyes meeting his as she drinks away.

"You're just like me," he tells her. "When you gotta eat, you gotta eat. We can't help that the Jones stomach isn't satisfied unless full. If I couldn't feed myself, I 'd be screaming too."

As the eight-week-old continues to drink, he pauses, suddenly wonderstruck by his daughter. Every once in a while, and especially when sleep deprived, the surreal events of the past eight weeks come rushing forward, from getting the call from the adoption agency to Betty telling him she's pregnant, and he experiences overwhelming surges of emotion. The new father finds himself suddenly blinking back tears while staring down at the baby.

"You are so incredible, Sammy girl," he murmurs to her, completely in awe. "You've made every minute of our long wait worth it, and you're going to be the best big sister." Since bringing her home two months ago, every moment he has spent with his daughter has been astounding. Sure, sleep is a thing of the past, and he's never been this exhausted in his life, but every second spent with his bundle of joy has been worth it.

Twenty minutes later, Samantha's eyes begin to droop and she lets the bottle fall from her mouth, signifying that she's done (for now). Jughead places her on the changing table, taking advantage of her food coma to do a quick diaper change before swaddling her and placing her back on the mattress of her crib. Before going back to his and Betty's room, he stands by the crib, staring down at his daughter's sleeping form.

 _His daughter_.

Even now, it is still mind-blowing to Jughead that this tiny being, this little person, is his to raise and nurture. The thought is terrifying to him; there are so many things for him to mess up along the way, and though he has never doubted Betty's ability to be an incredible mother, he's not certain that he himself will make a good father. Though he and his dad are now closer than they've ever been, that was not the case when he was growing up. In fact, it really took Betty being diagnosed with cancer for the two of them to develop a healthy father-son relationship. He has no idea what the role of the father is during the early childhood years; he never experienced it himself and doesn't really have anything to base it upon; his own father had been startlingly absent during his younger years. Jughead supposes he could think back to Fred Andrews raising Archie, but that involved a lot of sports, which is certainly not alluring to him.

"Juggie?"

Jughead turns around to see Betty leaning against the door frame. She looks beautiful, her small bump looking especially pronounced in the shadows cast by their daughter's night light.

"I thought you would be asleep," he whispers to her, pulling her into his arms. He kisses the top of her head and pulls back, his tired blue eyes meeting her exhausted green ones.

"I could hear you talking to her over the monitor," Betty replies quietly, giving him a slight, loving smile.

"Sorry, Betts. I forgot to turn it off," he says guiltily. "I didn't mean to keep you up."

"It's okay." She takes his hand and leads him out of Samantha's room, cracking the door behind them. "You are an incredible dad, Jughead Jones."

Jughead's stomach lurches and he looks down at Betty affectionately. "Thanks, Betts. You're a pretty amazing mom yourself."

They walk back into their room and Betty sighs, getting back into bed for what seems like the tenth time that night. She nestles into Jughead's chest, her left leg draped over his. "I don't feel like a good mom sometimes, Jug. This whole 'parenting' thing is so much harder than I thought it would be. We tried so hard for so long just to have kids that I never actually thought about what it would be like after we actually had one, and now we're going to have two."

Jughead snorts. "You're preaching to the choir, Betts. But if anyone can do it, it's us, okay? We've been through a lot together, and if time has taught me anything, it's that we're unstoppable."

Betty responds with a happy sigh, and within a minute, she has fallen fast asleep on his chest. Jughead smiles, kissing the top of her blonde head. His eyes are heavy as they glance at the clock and read that it's 5:30 AM. By his estimation, they have about two hours, three tops, before they are awoken to the hurricane that is a hangry Samantha Jones.

0o0o0o0

By some small miracle, Samantha does not wake up until after Betty and Jughead do the next morning. Jughead wakes to the sun shining through their bedroom window, and when he glances at the clock, he is shocked to see that it's almost 9:30. Four consecutive hours of sleep is a new record in the Jones household.

However, as if some outside force senses that too much rest is happening, Betty's phone begins to ring, waking her up from a deep sleep. Jughead fumes internally; everyone knows they have a newborn, and though they don't know about the baby on the way, they should still know better than to call in the morning hours.

"Hello?" she answers groggily. There's a pause before, "hey, V. No, I was awake, just dozing."

' _Liar,'_ Jughead thinks wryly.

Betty listens to her friend for several moments before cutting her eyes over to Jughead. "Veronica wants to know if we would rather do dinner at her house tonight instead of ours so we don't have to worry about cooking or cleaning."

 _Shit, dinner_. The lack of sleep had caused Jughead to temporarily forget. Tonight is the night that he and Betty are going to tell their friends and family that they have another baby on the way. Betty's OBGYN has assured the couple that they are out of the most common danger zone with regard to miscarriages, and as his wife pointed out, it would only be a matter of time before Alice begins noticing the gentle swell of her stomach.

Jughead looks into Betty's pale, tired face, and can tell that she would much rather move the dinner to Veronica and Archie's house. Not only does she appear too exhausted to host a dinner, Jughead doesn't know how she will possibly prepare the meal without becoming physically ill. Though it is typically worse during the morning hours, Betty's nausea also tends to peak while dealing with food.

"That sounds great, Betts," he tells her, bending down to place a chaste kiss on her mouth. He leaves her on the phone with her best friend to sort out a menu and ventures down the hall to check on Samantha. Jughead finds her fast asleep, her tiny body still encased in her 'baby burrito' as he likes to call it, and he then weighs whether or not to go make breakfast or go back to bed.

Breakfast wins, though by a much slimmer margin than usual.

0o0o0o0

"Juggie, have you seen the diaper bag?"

Jughead jerks awake, momentarily disoriented. He's sitting up on the couch, his head at an uncomfortable angle on his shoulder. Glancing at his watch, he sees that it's 5:30 and almost time to head to Archie and Veronica's home.

"Yeah, Betts, it's on the floor in the laundry room," he says groggily, rubbing at the crick in his neck. He glances up to see a distressed-looking Betty walking through the living room towards the laundry room, Samantha tucked into her arms.

"Here, I'll take her," Jughead says, standing up and taking the infant from his wife.

"Thanks, Jug," Betty replies, rubbing her face. "Everything takes ten times longer when you have a baby."

Jughead smiles. "I haven't been much help either. I fell asleep on the couch."

"I saw that," Betty laughs. "You looked so peaceful though, I didn't want to disturb you. Plus, it wasn't long. Forty-five minutes at the most."

"How are you feeling?" Jughead asks, glancing down at Samantha's sleeping face.

Betty frowns and shrugs. "Not great. I'm not sure how I'm going to eat, but I'll try."

"Well, you look beautiful," he tells his wife, bending down to place a swift kiss on her lips. She's wearing jeans and a tunic top that conceals her bump. "I'll see what I can do about making you feel better later tonight," he adds, giving her a suggestive wink.

"I hope I don't fall asleep halfway through," Betty giggles, giving him a brief hug before tracking down the diaper bag and making sure it's fully stocked for their outing.

Twenty minutes later, the family of three (and a half) is on the road to the Andrews residence. Once Archie and Veronica found out Veronica was pregnant with their son, Hunter, they moved from the Pembrooke and into a larger home on the outskirts of Riverdale, very close to Jughead and Betty's neighborhood. It is an old white farmhouse, complete with columns and a wraparound front porch on several acres of land. As a gift to Archie and Veronica, Mr. and Mrs. Lodge had paid for them to gut the entire inside of the house before moving in, so though the house has a rustic appearance, everything is new and up to the Lodge standard on the inside.

Jughead pulls into the driveway and Betty glances at him nervously, her bottom lip between her teeth. He can tell by the look on her face she's feeling uneasy about telling everyone the news tonight.

"Betty, we don't have to say anything tonight," he tells her, reaching across to hold her hand. "You can take your time and we can tell them when we're ready."

Betty looks at him, her eyebrows knit together in the middle. "What if we tell them and then things go wrong?" she whispers fearfully. She rubs her other hand across her midsection unconsciously.

"Everything is going to be fine," he assures her. "The doctors told us everything looks perfect and that we can start telling close friends and family, Betts. They wouldn't have told us that if they think anything looked abnormal."

Betty gives him a small smile. "You're right," she whispers. "I'm just nervous. This all seems too good to be true, Sammy included."

Jughead glances to the back seat where their daughter is fast asleep in her car seat. "Everything is perfect, Betts," he murmurs, and he means it. He has never been happier.

They get out of the car and Jughead detaches the baby carrier from the car seat. Together, they walk up to the large farmhouse and Veronica opens the door before they can knock.

"Hi, Jones family!" she cries, throwing her arms around Betty. She bends over the carrier Jughead has in his arms and fondly strokes the light brown hair on Samantha's small head. "Hi, Sammy," she whispers to the sleeping infant.

"Hey, V," Betty grins, turning to look at the sleeping baby with her friend.

"How are you?" Veronica asks, whisking them into the farmhouse's impressive foyer. The dark hardwood floors shine, and Jughead would be surprised if he could find a single speck of dust on them. "Betty, you look exhausted! You could have just cancelled if you weren't feeling up to tonight."

"I'm fine, V," Betty replies, giving her friend a weak smile. "Just adjusting to this whole motherhood thing."

"It is quite an adjustment," Veronica concedes. She looks through into the living room, where Carrington, her four-year-old daughter, is flying towards them. "Speaking of which," she says, giving them a sideways smile.

"Aunt Betty, Uncle Jughead!" the toddler yells, wrapping her arms around Betty's legs. "You haven't been here in so long!"

Betty grins and scoops the toddler into her arms, spinning her around. Carrington shrieks with laughter, and once Betty places her back on the ground, she wraps her arms around Jughead's legs.

"Hey, kiddo," he says fondly, ruffling her deep auburn hair. "Sorry we've been MIA; your cousin here has been pretty time consuming."

"What's MIA?" the toddler asks blankly.

Jughead laughs. "Missing in action."

"Is that my granddaughter?" comes another voice from the living room. FP walks around the corner into the foyer and his weathered face lights up at the sight of Jughead and Betty.

"Hey mama," he greets Betty, pulling her into his arms. "You holding up okay?"

"We're fine, FP, thanks for asking," Betty replies, giving her father-in-law a reassuring smile. The deep bags under her eyes are especially pronounced at the moment, and Jughead wonders whether or not they should have forgone dinner after all. He, at least, had gotten a quick power nap before heading over.

"I hope my son is fulfilling enough of his fatherly duties," FP says, walking over and clapping Jughead on the back.

"He's the glue holding me together right now," Betty replies, winking at Jughead.

FP bends down in front of Samantha. "Hi, beautiful girl," he whispers to his granddaughter. He takes the carrier from Jughead. "You guys relax, I've got little miss here."

"Thanks, FP," Betty says gratefully. Jughead steps forward, wrapping his arm around Betty's waist.

At that time, Hunter, Archie and Veronica's one-year-old, crawls into the foyer, looking around for the commotion.

"What are you doing in here?" Veronica asks him fondly. "Your father is supposed to be watching you. Archie? Did you forget about your son?" she calls into the house. "I swear, just wait until you guys adopt another kid. The second one makes all of the difference." She misses the amused look between Jughead and Betty while craning her neck for her husband.

"Sorry, Ronnie," Archie tells her, walking into the foyer. "The Bills are driving down the field right now." He scoops the dark-haired one-year-old into his arms and walks over to Betty and Jughead.

"You two look like crap," he tells them good-naturedly, giving Betty a one-armed hug.

"Good to see you too, Arch," Jughead says wryly.

"Everyone's here except your mom, Betty," Veronica says, leading them into the living room. FP and Fred Andrews are sharing one of the two couches, Samantha already out of her carrier and nestled in her grandfather's arms.

"That's a good look for you, Dad," Jughead says, giving him a crooked grin. He flops down on the other couch next to Archie, and the two Andrews children play on the floor in the living room in front of them.

"Betty, want to help me finish up with dinner prep?" Veronica calls to her.

"Sure, V," Betty replies, walking through the open doorway into the large kitchen.

Jughead briefly wonders whether or not Betty's stomach can handle the smells of the kitchen at the moment, but he's quickly distracted when Fred begins to speak to him.

"So, Jug, how's fatherhood?" the older man asks, giving him a slight grin.

"Great," Jughead replies. "Minus the whole 'no-sleep' thing."

"She looks like she sleeps great," Archie says, eyeing the small form in FP's arms.

"Yeah, during the day she sleeps like a champ," Jughead replies dryly. "It's during the night that it's an issue."

"Any time you and Betty need a break, you know where to find me," FP says, offering a bottle to the slowly waking two-month-old. She immediately takes it and begins chugging the formula down. "She can eat, can't she?"

Jughead smirks. "She's a Jones. Of course she can eat."

At that moment, Alice Cooper enters the living room from the foyer, placing her messenger bag down by the couch. "Sorry I'm late. Got caught up at the office."

"On a Sunday?" Jughead asks, but Alice ignores him.

Alice is filling in at the Register for Betty and Jughead while they adjust to parenthood. Jughead plans on starting back at least part-time during the upcoming week, but he suspects that Alice will insist he takes more time off once she finds out Betty is pregnant. He has a sneaking suspicion that Betty's mother has enjoyed coming out of retirement more than she admits.

"How's my girl?" she asks, sitting down next to FP on the couch, gently stroking the nursing baby's head.

"Hungry," FP laughs. "I'll hand her over once she's done devouring her dinner."

"Hi, Mrs. Cooper!" Veronica calls into the living room. "Would you like a glass of wine? And do you want a beer, Jughead? Your wife is being a killjoy."

Jughead laughs nervously. "I'm good, V, thanks," he calls.

Veronica walks into the living room, stepping over her children to pass Mrs. Cooper a glass of white wine. Betty is behind her, looking a bit pale. Jughead raises her eyebrows at her, asking if she's ok, and his wife gives him an almost imperceptible nod.

"I'm going to give the chicken a few more minutes in the oven and then we can go to the table," Veronica tells them. She sits on the arm of the couch next to Archie, watching Carrington do her best to play with a not-interested Hunter.

Jughead glances at Betty and cocks his head. To him, now seems as good a time as any, and he asks Betty's permission to begin the conversation. She gives him a slight nod and walks around to sit next to him on the couch. His stomach lurches.

"Hey, guys," he begins, his heart hammering rapidly against his sternum. "We were going to host this dinner at our house tonight, but as it turns out, this whole parenting thing is really hard work, so Veronica swooped in and saved the day. So, thanks for that, V."

"Any time," Veronica returns. "I've been in your shoes, you would have done the same for me."

"Yeah, it's no big deal," Archie adds absentmindedly, his eyes still glued to the television.

"Well, we really appreciate it," Jughead continues. He puts his hand on Betty's knee. "We have something we've been wanting to tell you guys."

" _Oh my God_ ," Veronica interjects loudly. Her kids look up curiously. "You guys are adopting another baby!"

"No," Jughead laughs. "Not at this moment, anyway." He glances down at Betty to see if she wants to tell everyone their news, but she looks up at him, her smile giving him permission to continue. "We have no idea how it happened, and all of the doctors keep telling us it's a miracle, but Samantha is going to be a big sister. Betty is pregnant."

The room is totally silent for a fraction of a second, and then it bursts into jovial chaos. Veronica breaks down into tears, throwing herself onto Betty. Archie stands up, pulling Jughead into a giant hug, and Alice sits in stunned silence on the couch with a disbelieving grin on her face while Fred and FP stand up to congratulate them.

"This is absolutely insane," Veronica cries, feeling Betty's stomach. "How did I not notice this? Oh my God, you are going to be the cutest pregnant woman ever, B."

Betty hugs Fred, FP, and then her mother, wiping tears off of her face as she goes along.

"Did you do another round of IVF?" Alice asks her. "I would have helped pay for it, Elizabeth."

"No, Mom, no IVF," Betty says, a big grin on her face. She glances at Jughead, positively glowing at this point. "Just some luck, I suppose."

"How long have you known, Betty?" Veronica asks, picking up Hunter and placing him on her hip. She still has tears shining in her eyes.

"Since the day we picked up Samantha," Betty laughs. "I hadn't been feeling right so I took a pregnancy test on a whim and voila, and then immediately afterwards Jughead came home to tell me that we finally had a baby waiting on us that wouldn't fall through."

"This is incredible," Fred says, smiling between Betty and Jughead. "You two never stop surprising me."

"We apparently never stop surprising ourselves," Jughead replies dryly.

"So, sorry we've been missing for a couple months," Betty continues apologetically. "Being first-time parents is hard enough without the debilitating morning sickness I've been having. Jughead has really had to step up around the house and parent while I'm busy dying in the bathroom."

"This is something else," FP says, glancing down at the once again sleeping infant in his arms. He pulls Jughead into a one-armed hug. "You two really go big or go home, don't you? Congratulations, boy. I couldn't be happier for you."

Carrington has finally caught on to the conversation and walks up to Betty, her brown eyes wide. "Aunt Betty, do you have a baby in your tummy like Hunter was in my mommy's tummy?"

Betty smiles and kneels down to the toddler's level. "I sure do, Carrie. Do you want to touch it?"

Carrington reaches out and gently touches the gentle swell of Betty's abdomen. She looks up, delighted. "Is it a girl or a boy?"

"We don't know yet," Betty replies, pushing the small girl's auburn locks out of her face. "What do you think it is?"

"Hmm," the four-year-old says, pondering the question seriously. "I think it's a girl."

"Two girls, huh?" Betty asks, glancing up at Jughead's panicked look. "I think Uncle Jughead might be a little outnumbered with three women in the house."

"Shit, the chicken!" Veronica exclaims, running into the kitchen.

"We don't say that word, Mommy," Carrington calls after her, causing the living room to burst into laughter.

0o0o0o0

Two hours later, Jughead and Betty pull back into the driveway of their home. Samantha has long since been asleep in her carrier, and Betty has also managed to fall asleep against the window of the SUV's passenger seat during the short drive home. She appears so peaceful that Jughead hates that he has to bother her.

Creeping out of the car, Jughead carefully removes Samantha's carrier from the car seat dock and goes inside to change her and place her in her crib for the night; Betty had fed her dinner earlier at Veronica and Archie's. He returns to the car for his wife, who is still slumbering peacefully. Opening the door to the passenger seat, he carefully strokes her golden hair before she slowly wakes.

"Sorry, Juggie, I must've dozed off," Betty says groggily. She smiles up at Jughead and his heart swells with love. To this day, it is still mind boggling to him that this beautiful woman agreed to be his wife all of those years ago.

"That's okay," he tells her, stepping back so she can get out of the car. She glances into the back seat and looks up curiously at him when she sees Samantha isn't in the car.

"She's already in bed," Jughead says, grinning. "I thought I'd let you get a few extra minutes of sleep."

Betty wraps her arms around him. "I don't know what I did to deserve you," she sighs. "I'm sorry for relying on you so heavily these past couple months, Jughead. I promise I'm trying to get my life together."

"Betty, you're literally growing another human inside of you," Jughead laughs. "And taking care of a brand-new one. That's too much for anyone to go through alone. I've got your back and you've got mine. That's how this works."

Betty stands on her tiptoes, planting a kiss on Jughead's cheek. "Thank you. You are the best thing to ever happen to me, Jughead Jones."

"Well I'm glad you think so, Betty Jones," Jughead says, a smile tugging at his lips. He takes Betty's hand and leads her into the house. "Now, let's go to sleep. I'm exhausted."

"Earlier you promised me you would make me feel better," Betty replies, rounding on him once the front door is closed behind them. She pushes him back into the door and slips her hands under his shirt, raking her nails teasingly over his abs.

Jughead groans and leans down to capture his wife's mouth with his own. He slides his tongue against her bottom lip and Betty moans.

"You sure you're feeling up to this?" Jughead asks her. He runs his hands up her sides and across her chest, feeling his pants tighten against him as he goes along. Racking his brain, Jughead can't remember the last time they had been intimate with one another. It had occurred once, maybe twice, since bringing Samantha home, and this was certainly the least it had ever happened since Betty's cancer treatments all of those years ago.

"Yes," Betty murmurs, running her hands through his hair as Jughead continues his assault of her jawline, neck, and collarbone. "I want you, Juggie."

Together, the couple makes their way back to their bedroom and they show each other _exactly_ how much they love and appreciate one another.

And, for the first time since coming home, Samantha sleeps through the night.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Feel free to drop a review. Follow me on Tumblr at elsaunfiltered**


End file.
